2007 Volume 100 Issue 8 Pages 663-668
Hematocele is a benign hemorrhagic pseudotumor that preferably arises in the sinonasal tract, particularly in the maxillary sinus. The occurrence of maxillary hematocele has sporadically been documented, but its nature is not clearly understood. We herein report four cases of maxillary hematocele. The patients were 3 men and one woman, 30-62 years of age with an average of 49.8 years. Major symptoms were nasal obstruction (2 cases), nasal bleeding (2 cases), and toothache (1 case). Computed tomography demonstrated well-defined expansive soft tissue shadows with bone erosion. The lesions showed intermingled high/intermediate/low intensity in both T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in 3 cases, and the other patient underwent Caldwell-Luc procedure. Surgical specimens microscopically exhibited inflammatory changes with hematoma and fibrin deposition. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful in all cases, and all the patients are currently free from disease 4-25 months after surgery. Clinical, histopathological and radiological characteristics of maxillary hematocele are reviewed.
