Surgery of frontal sinus osteoma

Abstract

Frontal sinus osteomas are 57% of all paranasal sinus osteomas, with an incidence of 00.1 to 3%. Surgical removal of the frontal sinus osteomas is done in symptomatic patients. Asymptomatic patients can be managed conservatively or submitted to surgery in spite of its location or extension. Five patients having the diagnosis of frontal sinus osteoma were operated on between 1995 and 1999. Medium age was 38.4 years (from 12 to 55 years), 3 male and 2 female. Symptoms occurred from 6 months to 3 years, average of 10.5 months. Four patients had previous headache and one had epistaxis. All patients had standard radiological exams and computed tomography with coronal and axial studies of paranasal sinus. In two patients the diameter of the osteoma was larger than 3 cm and in three smaller than 3 cm. The choice between coronal and supraciliar approach was made according to esthetics, supraciliar approach was made in only one bald patient even with the tumor being large and extending to ethmoidal sinus. Any intra operative difficulty was related to the choice of the approach. Naso-frontal ostium was not obstructed in intra operative course. Minimal postoperative follow up was of two years. Osteomas were radically removed in all patients with no recurrence or residual tumor. Clinical findings, radiological exams and surgical approaches are discussed. No postoperative complications occurred.