Management of Nasoalveolar Cyst by Transnasal Endoscopic Marsupialization

Abstract

Introduction: A nasoalveolar cyst is a benign nonodontogenic mass situated in the anterior region of the maxilla. They are often located submucosally in the anterior nasal floor giving rise to swelling in the nasolabial area at the base of nasal alae. Traditionally, the approach of choice was intraoral sublabial marsupialization, however the trend is shifting to lesser invasive and scarless transnasal endoscopic marsupialization.
 Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study comprising of 16 patients who underwent microdebrider assisted endoscopic transnasal marsupialization of nasoalveolar cyst.
 Results: 16 patients underwent endoscopic transnasal marsupialization under general anaesthesia. They were followed up for 6-16 months (mean 9.43) and none of them had any recurrence.
 Conclusion: The traditional treatment for the same has been by external approach. However, a scar in this area of face is not acceptable for many. Also, it is not easy to excise the whole cyst in toto. In our experience, microdebrider assisted endoscopic transnasal marsupialisation is an easier, faster, safer, and equally efficacious technique to treat nasolabial cyst without any recurrence. 
 Key words: nasoalveolar cyst; nasolabial cyst; endoscopic marsupialization