Silent sinus syndrome: an underdiagnosed entity. 2015

Clara Magalhães, and Miguel Baptista, and Gustavo Lopes, and Delfim Duarte
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Pedro Hispano Hospital, Matosinhos, Portugal.

We describe a case of a 33-year-old Caucasian woman with right facial asymmetry and no sinonasal symptoms. She was referred to the ophthalmology department as having right palpebral ptosis. On physical examination, she presented painless enophthalmos and hypoglobus of the right eye. The MRI of the brain only showed sinonasal inflammatory signs of the right maxillary sinus. The CT scan revealed opacification of the right maxillary sinus, with retraction of the sinus walls. We confirmed the diagnosis of silent sinus syndrome. The patient underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery. One year after surgery, despite clinical and aesthetic improvement, slight enophthalmos remained, but there were no other complications. In our case, the diagnosis of facial asymmetry as ptosis led to an initial imaging investigation to exclude neurological causes. Silent sinus syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis of facial asymmetry. Despite the clinical suspicion, the diagnosis can only be confirmed by imaging studies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008443 Maxillary Sinus The air space located in the body of the MAXILLARY BONE near each cheek. Each maxillary sinus communicates with the middle passage (meatus) of the NASAL CAVITY on the same side. Antrum of Highmore,Maxillary Antrum,Maxillary Ostium,Antrum, Maxillary,Highmore Antrum,Maxillary Antrums,Maxillary Ostiums,Sinus, Maxillary
D009422 Nervous System Diseases Diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. This includes disorders of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle. Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Disorders,Neurological Disorders,Disease, Nervous System,Diseases, Nervous System,Disorder, Nervous System,Disorder, Neurologic,Disorder, Neurological,Disorders, Nervous System,Disorders, Neurologic,Disorders, Neurological,Nervous System Disease,Nervous System Disorder,Neurologic Disorder,Neurological Disorder
D009915 Orbit Bony cavity that holds the eyeball and its associated tissues and appendages. Eye Socket,Eye Sockets,Orbits,Socket, Eye,Sockets, Eye
D010254 Paranasal Sinus Diseases Diseases affecting or involving the PARANASAL SINUSES and generally manifesting as inflammation, abscesses, cysts, or tumors. Disease, Paranasal Sinus,Diseases, Paranasal Sinus,Paranasal Sinus Disease,Sinus Disease, Paranasal,Sinus Diseases, Paranasal
D001763 Blepharoptosis Drooping of the upper lid due to deficient development or paralysis of the levator palpebrae muscle. Ptosis, Eyelid,Blepharoptoses,Eyelid Ptoses,Eyelid Ptosis,Ptoses, Eyelid
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005146 Facial Asymmetry Congenital or acquired asymmetry of the face. Asymmetries, Facial,Asymmetry, Facial,Facial Asymmetries
D005147 Facial Bones The facial skeleton, consisting of bones situated between the cranial base and the mandibular region. While some consider the facial bones to comprise the hyoid (HYOID BONE), palatine (HARD PALATE), and zygomatic (ZYGOMA) bones, MANDIBLE, and MAXILLA, others include also the lacrimal and nasal bones, inferior nasal concha, and vomer but exclude the hyoid bone. (Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p113) Bone, Facial,Bones, Facial,Facial Bone

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