Isolated primary frontal sinus aspergillosis: role of endonasal endoscopic approach.

BACKGROUND

Frontal sinus involvement in aspergillosis associated with the nose and paranasal sinuses is a common occurrence, but the incidence of primary frontal sinus aspergillosis is rare, and there are few reports in the English literature.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the role of the endonasal endoscopic surgical approach for isolated primary frontal sinus aspergillosis.

METHOD: This paper describes a retrospective study of 16 cases of primary frontal sinus aspergillosis. The patients had presented to the out-patient services of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, between January 1999 and July 2011.

RESULTS

The overall success rate of the endonasal endoscopic approach was 82.25 per cent. The disease recurred in three patients and was subsequently managed using the modified Lothrop procedure.

CONCLUSION

Minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery was found to be an effective and a safe approach for managing primary frontal sinus aspergilloma, even in cases with larger bony defects involving the posterior table of the frontal sinus.