Osteoplasty Flap Technique for Repair of Latent (30-Year) Post-Traumatic Frontal Sinus Mucocele: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Mucoceles are benign, slow-growing lesions defined as mucus-filled pseudocystic formations. Paranasal mucoceles predominantly affect the frontal sinus (60% to 65%), followed in frequency by the ethmoidal (20% to 30%), maxillary (10%), and sphenoid (2% to 3%) sinuses. Mucoceles usually arise because of sinus ostium obstruction, preceded by infection, fibrosis, inflammation, trauma, surgery or tumors such as osteomas. Mucoceles arising from the frontal sinus present with a variety of clinical signs, including decreased visual acuity, visual field abnormalities, proptosis, ptosis, periorbital swelling, displacement of the globe, restricted ocular movements, and choroidal folds. We describe a case of orbital involvement from a mucocele of the frontal sinus 30 years after the initial trauma, with a review of the published data concerning the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment planning.