Meningoencephalocele of the paranasal sinuses

Meningoencephaloceles are not commonly seen by the otolaryngologist. They occur most frequently in the lumbosacral area where they are five times as common as in the occipital area. The anterior cranial presentation is quite rare. Most patients with meningoencephaloceles present early with large lesions and are treated by the neurosurgeon. Two patients are presented who had small meningoencephaloceles which are located in the paranasal sinuses and successfully treated by an extracranial approach. This approach is recommended for those lesions of the paranasal sinus where the resulting bony defect from the removal of the lesion is small and the sinus in not infected.