Abstract
Objective: Nasal mucoceles are rare. The symptoms depend on the extension of lesion. They are especially related to nasal obstruction. It causes progressive distension inducing organ compression and bone erosion. Most commonly seen in the frontoethmoidal area, it may also develop in abnormally aerated bones, such as middle turbinate, clinoid process and pterygoid process.
We purpose to report a rare location of a nasal mucocele and describe its different clinical and paraclinical aspects.
Observation: We report a case of a 55-year old female with no medical history, who was complaining about visual acuity reduced on the left eye, which appeared during the past ten months. Endoscopic nasal examination revealed a formation of the middle left turbinate.
CT scan (computed tomography scan) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) revealed the presence of a cystic lesion in the middle turbinate. This lesion was well-defined and homogeneous. CT scan revealed an erosion of the lamina papyracea and a compression of the internal rectus muscle. The MRI showed the orbital extension.
The patient was operated with an endoscopic approach. We evacuated the content of the mucocele. The evolution was favorable with no recurrence during 2 years.
Conclusion: The mucoceles remain asymptomatic for a long time, which can retard the diagnosis. Its peculiarity lies more in the diagnosis than in the management as most of these can be completely resected or marsupialized endoscopically. The imaging is indicated before the surgical treatment.
Keywords: Mucocele – Middle turbinate – Computed tomography scan – Magnetic resonance imaging
