Silent sinus syndrome with spontaneous orbital floor reconstruction

PROBLEM

Silent sinus syndrome is rare and its pathophysiology is unclear. We report a case of silent sinus syndrome characterized by progressive enophtalmos with chronic maxillary atelectasis and asymptomatic chronic maxillary sinusitis.

METHODOLOGY

The patient had no history of sinusitis, facial trauma, or sinus surgery. Computed tomography revealed opacification of the right maxillary sinus and inferior bowing of the osteopenic orbital floor. Silent sinus syndrome was diagnosed and functional endoscopic maxillary antrostomy without orbital floor reconstruction was performed.

RESULTS

At one-year follow-up, computed tomography showed optimal ventilation of the maxillary sinus, restoration of the orbital floor, and withdrawal of the orbital content to its normal position.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic maxillary antrostomy without orbital floor reconstruction is effective and associated with limited risks for complications; however, the results are observed in the long term.

Hypopyon uveitis (without scleritis) a manifestation symptom of relapsing polychondritis

We report an atypical ocular symptom, hypopyon uveitis without scleritis encountered in relapsing polychondritis. Relapsing polychondritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sterile hypopyon uveitis.

[Advantages of amniotic membrane transplantation in eye surface diseases]

Amniotic membrane transplantation is now a widely adopted technique in the field of eye surface diseases. Depending on the indication, the amniotic membrane can be used as either a graft or a patch. When used as a graft, the amniotic membrane serves as a substrate for regrowth of deficient epithelium; the aim is to integrate this membrane. The basal membrane reinforces the adhesion and differentiation of the corneal epithelial cells, facilitates their migration, and prevents their apoptosis. When used as a patch, the amniotic membrane is sutured epithelium-down so as to maximize the concentration of biological factors delivered by this membrane: the membrane covers the diseased cornea and acts as a biological bandage and analgesic. The best indications for amniotic membrane grafts are acute chemical burns and trophic corneal ulcers refractory to all medical treatment. When these ulcers are perforated or in the early stages of perforation, it is best to use multiple layers of amniotic membrane, restoring the thickness of the cornea. In cases of confirmed limbal deficiency, amniotic membrane grafts may be a useful complement to the necessary limbal stem cell grafts. In the future, amniotic membranes will provide an indispensable support for the expansion of cultured stem cells. Amniotic membrane grafts may also be used to reconstruct the conjunctiva following the exeresis of symblepharons or conjunctival tumors. However, the use of this technique is currently limited to diseases with little inflammation and no extensive fibrosis.