CLINICAL STUDY OF PARANASAL SINUS DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH VISUAL DISTURBANCES FOR WHICH ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY WAS PERFORMED

Abstract

　We treated 5 cases of paranasal sinus diseases with visual disturbances in the past two years from April 2011 to March 2013. In all 5 cases―2 rhinogenic orbital complication, 2 rhinogenic optic neuritis and 1 posterior paranasal sinus cyst―endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) was performed. Visual acuity returned to the expected levels after surgery in 4 cases. The remaining 1 case which was due to a posterior paranasal sinus cyst, did not improve. In the case of severe visual disturbance, despite an emergency operation, it may become permanent. Even if an asymptomatic posterior paranasal sinus cyst is found on CT or MRI, then surgery should be considered as the treatment of choice. In 1 case of acute sinusitis, after the improvement of visual disturbance by surgery, the visual disorder recurred. The cause of the secondary visual symptom was not inflammation of the paranasal sinus but metastasis from breast cancer. Clinical diagnosis should be done carefully, not only taking the findings from CT or MRI into consideration, but also investigating the patient's past history and complications.