TITLE:
Silent Sinus Syndrome: Clinical Findings and Differential Diagnosis
AUTHORS:
Paolo Bossolesi, Barbara Pedruzzi, Enzo Emanuelli
KEYWORDS:
Silent Sinus Syndrome, SSS, Unilateral Enophthalmos, Diplopia, Chronic Maxillary Sinus Atelectasis, Displacement of the Orbital Floor, Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.3 No.5,
May
15,
2014
ABSTRACT: The Silent Sinus
Syndrome (SSS) is a rare condition that causes facial asymmetry, unilateral enophthalmos and diplopia. It is thought to be secondary to chronic maxillary
sinus atelectasis (CMA) with reabsorbed bone and subsequent displacement of the
orbital floor. Such anatomic modifications occur over time, and therefore it is
possible to encounter different stages of the same disease with or without
orbital displacement. Clinical findings can be unclear so it makes sense to
recognize potentially evolving SSS while other disturbances have to be ruled
out. Our purpose is to underline clinical findings for different diagnosis and
proper management. We consider Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)
indicated in CMA and SSS to halt the progression of the disease. Nevertheless
restitution treatment of enophtalmos due to orbital floor displacement involves
plastic reconstruction of the floor of the orbit via transconjunctival
approach. We report a case of SSS and discuss distinctive features of
non-neoplastic lesions involving the maxillary sinus that should be
considered for differential diagnosis.