Chronic sinusitis is swelling (inflammation) of the air-filled spaces (sinuses) behind the forehead, cheeks, and eyes, which continues for a long time or keeps coming back. Alternative Names:
Chronic sinus infection; Chronic sinusitis
Causes, incidence, and risk factors: The sinuses are openings in the bones around the nose. Four pairs of sinuses connect to small openings in the nose area. Normally, air passes in and out of the sinuses, and mucus and fluid drain from the sinuses into the nose. Sinusitis is usually due to allergies or infection. When sinusitis keeps coming back or continues for a long period of time, it is considered chronic. Causes of chronic sinusitis include: Chronic sinusitis is much less common than acute sinusitis. Acute sinusitis often occurs with upper respiratory infections. Chronic sinusitis may produce less severe symptoms than acute sinusitis, but it can damage the tissues of the sinuses. | Image-Guided Sinus Surgery for Sinusitis For many patients with chronic inflammatory sinusitis, endoscopic sinus surgery has brought great relief, although the close proximity of major nerves, blood vessels and the brain means that surgeons must be especially cautious and conservative. 
Webcast on Image-Guided Sinus Surgery In a live internet broadcast, Brian L. Matthews, M.D., a surgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, performed endoscopic sinus surgery using sophisticated image-guidance technology, which has significantly improved the safety and effectiveness of the procedure. The technology uses computer imaging to guide the surgical instruments around vital structures, such as orbital tissues, the optic nerve, the internal carotid artery, and the skull base - any of which can be a scant millimeter away. |