What are the advantages of the endoscopic canine fossa approach in treating maxillary sinus aspergillomas?

Aspergilloma of the maxillary sinus is a non-invasive mycotic infection of the immunocompetent host. Nowadays its treatment remains surgical removal, and endoscopic endonasal middle meatus antrostomy is retained as the most popular approach. In our experience, a complementary endoscopic canine fossa approach is often needed to achieve a complete resection of the fungus ball. This fact led us to ask ourselves if an isolated endoscopic canine fossa approach had any advantages over the endonasal middle meatus antrostomy. In this paper we retrospectively analyse the results of the surgical treatment of 31 patients presenting maxillary sinus aspergillomas. These patients were all operated between January 1997 and January 2003 in our Otolaryngology Department. They were divided in three groups. Group A included 10 patients operated through an endonasal middle meatotomy only, group B included 9 patients who were operated through a combined approach (endonasal middle meatus antrostomy and endoscopic canine fossa approach), and group C included 12 patients who were operated through an endoscopic canine fossa approach alone. No recurrences were noted in any group, but in group B three patients presented mild complications like persistent purulent discharge through the meatotomy and nasal crusting. The endoscopic canine fossa approach offers several advantages over other techniques. These include an optimal visualization of all maxillary sinus walls and recesses, the possibility of performing the procedure under local anaesthesia and on an outpatient basis, the preservation of the anatomy and physiology of the natural maxillary ostium and an easy removal of the eventual foreign bodies of dental origin in the sinusal cavity that could favourite the development of an aspergilloma.