LOTFINIA I, SHOKOUHI G, SALEHPOOR F, BABOLI S, TOTONGEE J. EVALUATION OF CRANIALIZATION TECHNIQUE IN T HE TREATMENT OF FRONTAL SINUS FRACTU RES. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2005; 19 (3) :231-236
URL:
http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/article-1-578-en.html
Departments of Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology, Tabriz University 0f Medical Sciences,
Abstract: (5798 Views)
Frontal sinus fractures are of surgical importance because of the microbial flora
covering the frontal air sinus and it's proximity with the duramater and brain. There is an
increased risk of meningitis when fracture of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus is
associated with a dural tear. In this condition, communication occurs between the contaminated
space of the air sinus and the intracranial space, which may be concurrent
with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.
Non-depressed fracture of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus per se generally
doesn't warrant surgical repair, but in some cases when conservative therapy fails to
manage CSF leakage and when there is severe injury to the posterior wall of the sinus
or to the sinus drainage duct, surgical treatment is warranted.
Cranialization is the surgical procedure for such patients in whom communication
between the frontal air sinus and outside space is cut off and the air sinus space is
integrated with the intracranial space. In this study, we evaluated 29 patients with frontal
region fracture who underwent cranialization performed by a single surgery team. Of
these patients, 89.7% were male and 10.3 % were female. The most common cause of
injury was found to be vehicle accident trauma (65.5%). These patients were also seen
to have concurrent iJ1iuries involving the brain parenchyma, cranial nerves (II and III),
and pneumocephalus. Post-operative complications included rhinorrhea, CSF leakage
from the wound, meningitis and superficial infection of the site of surgery. All these
complications improved with conservative therapy.
In general, in cases of severe injuries to the posterior wall of the frontal air sinus
with nasofrontal duct injury, cranialization is an appropriate procedure. In these patients,
in order to reduce complications it is essential that particular attention be paid to
the repair of the damaged duramater and to the closure of the nasofrontal duct.