Neuropathic pain associated with mucocele in the maxillary sinus

Abstract

Mucocele in the paranasal sinuses consists of a clinically unpainful, pseudocystic lesion that may be confused with cysts with mucosal accumulation due to an obstruction of a seromucinous gland or with other lesions displaying expansive masses in the maxillary sinuses. Histologically, mucocele consists of an accumulation of seromucosal secretion lined by epithelium. It is an infrequent pathology, whose treatment has evolved favourably to a considerable extent over the past decades. Here we report a case of mucocele located in a paranasal sinus associated with a syndrome of odontalgic neuritic pain. After the collection of complementary radiological evidence, antrostomic surgical treatment was implemented on the lateral-external wall of the maxillary sinus with a view to fully removing the cystic capsule, after which a histopathological study of the sample was performed. The lesion and the neuropathic pain disappeared following removal of the cystic mass, and after 21 months of follow-up the patient has remained free of relapse. Conclusions: lateral antrostomy for the removal of mucocele in the maxillary sinus can alleviate the neuropathic pain possibly associated with the pathology.