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Published on: August 22, 2022
[Dental foreign body sinusitis]
1Clinique ORL, Division de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, CHUV, Lausanne. fthevoz@hola.hospvd.ch
Introduction:
Unilateral chronic maxillary sinusitis is frequently attributed to dental origin. The goal of this retrospective study is to determine the frequency of maxillary sinusitis due to a foreign body of dental origin and its characteristics.
Methods:
Review of 197 sinusitis cases with maxillary sinus involvement operated in our department from 1991 to 1999. Selection of the 17 cases preoperatively suspect to be due to a foreign body of dental origin.
Results:
9% of the 197 maxillary sinusitis were classified "odontogenic". Intra-sinusal foreign bodies were identified in 5%: 2% of dental origin, 1% dental or radicular remnants, 2% of "pseudo" foreign bodies of mycotic origin.
Conclusion:
Chronic maxillary sinusitis attributable to a dental foreign body is rare and overestimated. There exists an important disproportion between the number of intra-sinusal dental foreign bodies and the number of patients who are symptomatic. Treatment is surgical by oral antrotomy and/or endonasal meatotomy. Only a prospective study could give a real estimation of the proportion of symptomatic cases and determine the predisposing factors.
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