Sphenoid sinus mucocele with unilateral blindness – a case report

Abstract

Mucocele of the paranasal sinuses are benign cystic lesions filled with mucus. They occur in the sphenoid sinus in 1–2% of all paranasal sinuses, most often in the fourth decade of life. Clinical manifestations are non-specific, caused by pressure expansion into anatomical structures immediately adjacent to the sphenoid sinus. They are manifested by headaches, dropped eyelids, impaired movement of the globe, and impaired vision. In the differential dia­gnosis, it is necessary to distinguish them from tumour processes and processes propagating from the intracranium. Computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) play an important role in the dia­gnosis, the definitive dia­gnosis is determined by perioperative findings and histological examination. Curative surgical options include endoscopic transnasal sphenoidotomy with marsupialization. In this article, we present a case of a patient with a mucocele of the sphenoid sinus, which was the cause of unilateral blindness. Keywords: marsupialization – mucocele – sphenoid sinus – endoscopic transnasal sphenoidotomy