Sphenoid Sinus Mucocele

In the literature written in English, 136 cases of sphenoid sinus mucocele have been described, and it has a relatively high incidence in Japan, numbering 61 cases to date. One new case is added. Data on 177 cases of these are analyzed and following conclusions are drawn:1) Sphenoid sinus mucocele can cause a wide variety of symptoms and signs depending upon which adjacent structure is involved by the expanding cyst.2) Headache is the most common complaint (62 percent) and visual disturbance constitutes the other major symptom (57 percent) in the foreign series. On the contrary, headache (82 percent) is less frequent than visual disturbance (94 percent) in the Japanese series.3) The necessity for early diagnosis is emphasized if irreparable damage to one or both eyes is to be prevented since fixed visual disturbance such as total blindness tends not to improve after any surgical intervention, whereas advancing complications of short duration respond well to timely marsupialization of the mucocele cavity into the nasal fossa.