CURRENT CONCEPTS IN THE SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC FRONTAL SINUSITIS

The surgical management of chronic frontal sinusitis has lagged behind that of other sinuses because of a relative infrequency of the diseas e, the difficulty in diagnosing it, the anatomical complexity of the a rea involved, an inadequate understanding of the airflow and mucus dra inage pathways, the complexity and lack of success of surgical procedu res, and the need for advanced equipment. A review of the anatomy, emb ryology, and physiology of the nasofrontal region is given followed by a summary of the signs, symptoms, and radiologic findings of chronic frontal disease because often the most difficult decision is knowing w hen to intervene surgically. Finally, there is a discussion of current techniques and recent advances using powered instrumentation in the n asofrontal area.