Endoscopic physiologic approach to allergy-associated chronic rhinosinusitis: a preliminary study.

Patients with allergy-associated chronic rhinosinusitis respond poorly to functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), probably because of the altered nasosinus ventilatory physiology and the increased contamination of the nasosinus mucosa by the offending allergens. With this in mind, we describe the concept and technique of functional endoscopic nasosinus surgery (FENS) in such cases. The advantages of this technique are that it preserves the uncinate process, it limits ethmoidal exenteration via a transbullar approach, and it simultaneously corrects both septal and lateral wall pathologies. The aim of our randomized prospective study was to subjectively and objectively compare the efficacy of FESS and FENS in 64 patients with allergy-associated chronic rhinosinusitis. Subjective assessment was ascertained by visual analog scores, and objective assessment was made by nasal endoscopy. In this preliminary study, we found that FENS was superior to FESS in treating chronic sinusitis associated with nasal allergy.

Functional anatomy of the uncinate process and its role in endoscopic sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND: A basic step of Functional Endoscopic sinus surgery-the most modern and revolutionary surgical treatment for chronic and recurring sinusitis, is removal of uncinate process to expose the infundibulum. The purpose of this study is to explore the functional role of uncinate process with special reference to endoscopic sinus surgery. METHODS: A fixed dose of sterile methylene blue was sprayed into the nasal cavities of post endoscopic sinus surgery cases, 20 without uncinate process preservation and 20 with uncinate process preservation. The area of staining/deposition of the stain in the ethmoidal cavity and the maxillary sinuses was endoscopically observed. RESULTS: Deposition of methylene blue was consistently found to be occurring in a larger area of the ethmoidal cavity including the maxillary sinus in post endoscopic sinus surgery cases without uncinate process preservation. CONCLUSION: Uncinate proces probably acts as a protective wall by directing the allergen bearing and contuminated inspired air away from the sinuses and facilitating ventilation of the sinuses in the mucocilliary pretreated expiratory phase. Injudictious removal of the uncinate process especially in cases with allergic rhinosinusitis should thus expose the sinus mucosa to contaminated air.

Anterior skull base surgery-our experience.

Anterior skull base surgery is now an accepted treatment modality for many lesions involving the anterior skull base including the pituitory region. This paper deals with a fifteen year experience over various approaches to the anterior skull base, and thereby trying to rationalize the appropriate approach for the tumours in different anatomical situations. Relevant literature has also been reviewed.

Septal splint with wax plates.

To pack or not to pack, has always been a debate, especially after septal and functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The authors have studied the symptoms of packing versus not packing in their series of 100 patients having undergone nasal surgery. They advocate the use of dental wax for the fashioning of septal splints, since they are easy to introduce, cheap and malleable. The patients postoperative comfort is greatly enhanced with the use of dental wax plate splints instead of nasal packing.