Bilateral consecutive blindness due to sphenoid sinus mucocele with unilateral partial recovery.

BACKGROUND

We present an interventional case report of a rare occurrence of sphenoid sinus mucocele causing bilateral consecutive blindness with unilateral partial recovery after endoscopic surgery.

METHODS

A 64-year-old woman with known sphenoid sinus mucocele and right blindness was referred because of an acute drop of vision to hand motion in her only-seeing left eye over 5 days. Imaging revealed a large mucocele enlarging the sphenoid sinus, eroding the base of the skull, protruding into the cranial cavity, and compressing the left optic nerve.

RESULTS

Urgent endoscopic sphenoidotomy was performed. Several hours after the procedure, visual acuity was partially recovered in the left eye.

INTERPRETATION: Sphenoid sinus mucoceles can cause bilateral blindness. A high index of suspicion and urgent imaging studies are necessary. Because visual recovery depends on prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention, a close collaboration between otolaryngologists and ophthalmologists is crucial.