Treatment of frontal sinus fracture

ABSTRACT

Although frontal sinus fractures were less common than other facial bone fractures, there have been an increase in frequency. When frontal sinus fracture has developed, depressed anterior wall fracture causes severe deformity and posterior wall fracture may be associated with severe neurosurgical complications. As the importance of external feature increased due to the improvement of life quality and social life style, so accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment become more important for the prevention of deformity. Mucocele which is one of the most common complication of frontal sinus fracture results in cosmetically serious deformity due to inappropriate treatment Therefore, systematic classification of the fracture and reliable methods of treatment according to the types of fractures are necessary. There has not been any uniform treatment modality according to the types of the frontal sinus fracture. We present the result of 24 patients who were treated at the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery in Yeungnam University Medical Center from Apr. 1994 to Apr. 1996. Anterior wall fracture was reduced by mosaic fixation, mucosal stripping and nasofrontal duct obliteration. Posterior wall fractures were treated by cranialization and naso frontal duct obliteration reinforced with galeal flap. There were no reoperation and the results were good in terms of both function and cosmetics without any major complications.