Aira Hospital

Chronic inflammation/infection of the paranasal sinuses – the frontal, ethmoidal and maxillary sinus - might cause retention of mucus/pus in the sinus cavity, creating a mucocele (a collection of mucus) or an empyema (a collection of pus). If not alleviated the continuously increasing intracavitary pressure will cause thinning and bulging of the covering bone.

An empyema might burst to the surface causing a draining sinus.

The surgical treatment of chronic sinusitis in earlier stages is drainage. In more advanced cases with established mucocele/empyema the procedure is as follows:

1)      The sinus wall is resected to get entrance to the sinus cavity,

2)      The mucous lining is removed completely so that no more secretions is produced,

3)      A permanent opening to the nasal cavity is created for drainage.