[Endoscopic medial maxillectomy for maxillary sinus tumors: indications and clinical outcome]

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) widely conducted in nasal and paranasal sinus surgery provides superior magnification, illumination, and angled visualization, enabling the surgeon to isolate the tumor base and accurately define disease extent. Endoscopic medial maxillectomy (EMM), an advanced ESS procedure, effectively treats benign sinonasal neoplasms such as inverted papilloma. We analyzed a series of EMM cases and their clinical outcomes, including 9 inverted papillomas, 1 solitary fibrous tumor, 1 hemangioma, 1 blood boil and 1 esthesioneuroblastoma. EMMs were conducted by an experienced surgeon. Removal of the medial wall and the wide maxillary sinus opening enabled by EMM allows easy access to the entire maxillary sinus with a generous work space. All tumors were treated endoscopically and the postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence was observed in follow-up. We found EMM to be safe and efficacious in resecting maxillary sinus tumors thanks to its improved accessibility and visualization. In conclusion, EMM enables complete removal of benign tumors from the maxillary sinus, having the advantages of no external incision, decreased blood loss, low morbidity, shorter hospital stay, and the possibility of repetition in recurrence, compared to conventional approaches. EMM may thus become the treatment of choice for maxillary sinus tumors.