Abstract
■ The sphenoid sinus, known in the past as the “neglected sinus” [30], has attracted growing attention over the past 10 years due to the development of diagnostic techniques, the innovation of selective endonasal endoscopic approaches to the sinus itself and to the latest advancement in surgery, which foresees using the sphenoid sinus as the gateway to the sellar area and to the middle and posterior skull base.
■ Improved diagnostic techniques. The routine use of nasal endoscopy, computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging has increased the number of diagnoses of sphenoid disease [4, 7, 9, 10, 16, 19, 28]. Early diagnosis is fundamental because the presenting symptoms are both poor and non-specific, and often diagnosis is made after the arousal of a complication, due for instance to bone erosion involving the surrounding structures [9]. The possible complications can be very serious; in fact, the sphenoid sinus is strictly related to important and vulnerable structures such as the pituitary gland, the optic nerves, the cavernous sinuses, the internal carotid arteries, and cranial nerves III, IV, V and VI [16].
■ Improved surgical techniques. The classic approach to this region was aggressive and disfiguring. The development of intranasal endoscopic techniques offers a practical alternative to the traditional methods; the endoscopic approach allows direct access to the sphenoid sinus while preserving other nearby anatomical structures and, furthermore, being an easier and quicker surgical manoeuvre it is able to prevent the complications that may arise with the sphenoid disease [7, 9, 10, 17–19, 22].
■ Surgical access to the skull base. Endoscopic surgery on the middle and posterior skull base is becoming increasingly refined and the sphenoid sinus is the chief anatomical structure for the various approaches to the skull base [5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 27].
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Al-Nashar IS, Ismail S, Carrau RL, Herrera A, Snyderman CH (2004) Endoscopic transnasal transpterygopalatine fossa approach to the lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus. Laryngoscope 114:528–532
Bolger WE (2005) Endoscopic transpterygoid approach to the lateral sphenoid recess: surgical approach and clinical experience. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 133:20–26
Bolger WE, Osenbach R (1999) Endoscopic transpterygoid approach to the lateral sphenoid recess. Ear Nose Throat J 78:36–46
Cakmak O, Shohet MR, Kern EB (2000) Isolated sphenoid sinus lesions. Am J Rhinol 14:13–9
Cappabianca P, Cavallo LM, de Divitiis E (2004) Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery. Neurosurgery 55:933–940; discussion 940–941
Carrau RL, Jho HD, Ko Y (1996) Transnasal-transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery of the pituitary. Laryngoscope 106:914–8
Castelnuovo P, Battaglia P, Locatelli D, Delù G, Sberze F, Bignami M (2006) Endonasal micro-endoscopic treatment of malignant tumors of the paranasal sinuses and anterior skull base. Oper Tech Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 17:152–167
Castelnuovo P, Dallan I, Pistochini A, Battaglia P, Locatelli D, Bignami M (2007) Endonasal endoscopic repair of Sternberg’s canal cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Laryngoscope 117:345–349
Castelnuovo P, Pagella F, Semino L, De Bernardi F, Delu G (2005) Endoscopic treatment of the isolated sphenoid sinus lesions. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 262:142–147
Castelnuovo P, Pistochini A, Locatelli D (2006) Different surgical approaches to the sellar region: focus on the “two nostrils four hands technique”. Rhinology 44:2–7
Cavallo LM, Messina A, Gardner P, Esposito F, Kassam AB, Cappabianca P, de Divitiis E, Tschabitscher M (2005) Endoscopic endonasal surgery of the midline skull base: anatomical study and clinical considerations. Neurosurg Focus 19:E2
Cheung DK, Martin GF, Rees J (1992) Surgical approaches to the sphenoid sinus. J Otolaryngol 21:1–8
Cohen NA, Kennedy DW (2005) Endoscopic sinus surgery: where we are – and where we’re going. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 13:32–38
de Divitiis E (2006) Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery: stone-in-the-pond effect. Neurosurgery 59:512–20; discussion 512–20
Doglietto F, Prevedello DM, Jane JA Jr, Han JA, Laws ER Jr (2005) A brief history of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery – from Philipp Bozzini to the First World Congress of Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery. Neurosurg Focus 19:E3
Elwany S, Elsaeid I, Thabet H (1999) Endoscopic anatomy of the sphenoid sinus. J Laryngol Otol 113:122–126
Frank G, Pasquini E, Doglietto F, Mazzatenta D, Sciarretta V, Farneti G, Calbucci F (2006) The endoscopic extended transsphenoidal approach for craniopharyngiomas. Neurosurgery 59:ONS75–83; discussion ONS75–83
Frank G, Pasquini E, Mazzatenta D (2001) Extended transsphenoidal approach. J Neurosurg 95:917–918
Hadar T, Yaniv E, Shvero J (1996) Isolated sphenoid sinus changes – history, CT and endoscopic finding. J Laryngol Otol 110:850–853
Harnsberger HR, Hudgins P, Wiggins R, Davidson C (2004) Diagnostic Imaging Head and Neck. Amirsys, Salt Lake City
Kassam AB, Gardner P, Snyderman C, Mintz A, Carrau R (2005) Expanded endonasal approach: fully endoscopic, completely transnasal approach to the middle third of the clivus, petrous bone, middle cranial fossa, and infratemporal fossa. Neurosurg Focus 19:E6
Locatelli D, Castelnuovo P, Santi L, Cerniglia M, Maghnie M, Infuso L (2000) Endoscopic approaches to the cranial base: perspectives and realities. Childs Nerv Syst 16:686–691
Locatelli D, Rampa F, Acchiardi I, Bignami M, De Bernardi F, Castelnuovo P (2006) Endoscopic endonasal approaches for repair of CSF leaks: nine-year experience. Oper Neurosurg 58:246–257
Luxenberger W, Stammberger H, Jebeles JA, Walch C (1998) Endoscopic optic nerve decompression: the Graz experience. Laryngoscope 108:873–882
Metson R, Gliklich RE (1996) Endoscopic treatment of sphenoid sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 114:736–744
Pasquini E, Sciarretta V, Farneti G, Mazzatenta D, Modugno GC, Frank G (2004) Endoscopic treatment of encephaloceles of the lateral wall of the sphenoid sinus. Minim Invasive Neurosurg 47:209–213
Rosen MR, Saigala K, Evans J, Keanea WM (2006) A review of the endoscopic approach to the pituitary through the sphenoid sinus. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 14:6–13
Sethi DS (1999) Isolated sphenoid lesions: diagnosis and management. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 120:730–736
Som PM, Curtin HD (2003) Head and Neck Imaging. Mosby, St. Louis
Van Alyea OE (1941) Sphenoid sinus: anatomic study, with consideration of the clinical significance of the structural characteristics of the sphenoid sinus. Arch Otolaryngol 34:225–253
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Castelnuovo, P., De Bernardi, F., Minonzio, G., Delù, G., Bignami, M. (2009). The Sphenoid Sinus. In: Stucker, F., de Souza, C., Kenyon, G., Lian, T., Draf, W., Schick, B. (eds) Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74380-4_53
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74380-4_53
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-74379-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-74380-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)