Computed tomographic features in muco-pyoceles of the maxillary sinus.

Radiological images of muco-pyoceles of the maxillary sinus often simulate those of malignancy. This presents a diagnostic dilemma for rhinologists. The authors studied the computed tomographic findings of 13 cases of muco-pyoceles of the maxillary sinus by obtaining two different images, one of the soft tissues and the other of the bony structures. The bony sinus walls are distended and thinned in many cases by long-standing intramural pressure. The most reliable finding in the diagnosis of muco-pyoceles is the smooth clear-cut margins of bone erosions occurring in the sinus walls.