Surgical diseases of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses

Nasal diseases in small animals range from simple foreign bodies to invasive malignancies, yet the patients may present with identical clinical signs. As is true in many situations in veterinary medicine, one of the first questions a clinician ponders is: does this animal have a good disease or a bad disease? Recent advances in diagnostic methods have improved our ability to answer that question using noninvasive techniques. However, surgical intervention remains a viable option for exploring the nasal cavity and sinuses to establish and possibly treat the cause. If a malignant process is found, owners should be advised that surgery alone is not helpful and that radiation therapy can improve survival. Complications of all treatment options must be thoroughly outlined to owners because they are common.