‘A down and out eye’ - A case report of unilateral eccentric proptosis secondary to frontoethmoidal mucocele

Proptosis, the forward protrusion of the eyeball, is a common manifestation of a wide variety of diseases inside the orbit and its spaces. The causes of unilateral proptosis are innumerable and its evaluation requires a multidisciplinary approach. Paranasal sinus mucoceles are epithelium-lined cystic masses usually resulting from obstruction of sinus ostia. The close proximity of paranasal sinus mucoceles to the orbit and skull base predispose patients to significant morbidity. Primary ethmoid mucocele is an uncommon entity, especially in the absence of prior ear, nose and throat complaints, and therefore should remain an important differential when a patient presents with a unilateral swelling causing proptosis. Herein, we report an unusual case of a primary frontoethmoid mucocele in a 35 years old woman who presented with a painless swelling with an obvious displacement of the left eye since 1 year, associated with restriction of ocular movements, thus prompting radio imaging of orbits. The results showed a large well-defined expansile lesion suggestive of Left Eye frontoethmoidal mucocele, prompting an immediate surgical referral.

Mucocele con expansión orbitaria / Mucocele with orbital expansion

El mucocele es una lesión quística benigna, que se desarrolla en el interior de los senos perinasales por la obstrucción de su drenaje natural en el curso de los procesos inflamatorios, traumas y cirugías. Se presentan tres casos con mucocele frontoetmoidal y expansión intraorbitaria, los cuales fueron atendidos en el Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras entre los meses de febrero a diciembre del año 2013. El propósito del presente estudio es el análisis de los resultados terapéuticos obtenidos y determinar la posible influencia de la vía de abordaje utilizada sobre la efectividad terapéutica y la recidiva tumoral en cada uno de estos pacientes(AU)

Mucocele is a benign cystic lesion that emerges inside the perinasal sinuses due to the obstruction of their natural drainage in inflammatory processes, traumas and surgeries. Here are three cases with frontoethmoidal mucocele and intraorbital expansion, which were treated at Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital from February to December, 2013. The objective of this study was to analyze the therapeutic results and to determine the possible influence of the approach path on the therapeutic effectiveness and the tumor recurrence in each of the patients(AU)