Endoscopic and External Surgical Approach to Paranasal Sinus Mucocele

Mucoceles of the paranasal sinuses are not common, butusually present as cystic lesions causing facial asymmetryrequiring surgery. hitherto surgical attempts at excision wereexternal surgical approaches with the use of stents to drain thefrontoethmoidal sinus, if they were the principal sinus involved,for a variable period. recent advances in endoscopic sinussurgery have made the endoscopic approach to surgicallymanage paranasal sinus mucoceles the new trend. a total of18 patients were seen over a ten-year period with paranasalsinus mucocele; 14 cases were managed through theexternal approach, while four were consecutively managedendoscopically. the endoscopic approach in the surgicalmanagement of mucoceles of the paranasal sinuses andthe external approach are discussed in this article with theintent of showing the advantages of the two approaches, withmore emphasis on the endoscopic approach and caution thatshould the endoscopic approach prove difficult, reversal tothe external approach should be undertaken immediately, soas to avoid unnecessary complications.