[Treatment of diseased middle turbinate in endoscopic sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical significance of reservation of the middle turbinate in functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for sinusitis and/or nasal polyps. METHOD: According to anatomic criteria of the middle turbinate surgery in adult, 32 cases who had sinusitis and/or nasal polyps were treated and followed up. The recovery of middle turbinate contour, postoperative ethmoid cavity and the rate of patency of the maxillary sinus ostium were observed postoperatively. RESULT: 1. After 6 months, the form of middle turbinate returned to normal in 24 cases (75%), adhesions occurred in 8 cases (25%), including the closure of ethmoid sinus cavity in 2 cases. 2. The patency of maxillary sinuses ostium maintained well in 25 cases (78.1%), stenosed in 6 cases (18.8%) and closed in 1 case (3.1%). The diseased middle turbinate can recover to normal contour in most cases, often plastics in FESS. CONCLUSION: Reservation of middle turbinate plays an important role in promoting the clinical cure rate.