Treatment Strategy for the Retention Cyst of the Maxillary Sinus

Abstract

Retention cysts are commonly found in the maxillary sinus and are discovered incidentally on imaging studies. Obstruction of the ducts of the seromucous glands of the paranasal sinus lining is thought to induce the development of retention cysts. Since retention cysts are asymptomatic and tend to degenerate, they do not require definite treatment. However, in clinical practice, surgical treatment is often performed without clear indications. Retention cysts need to be surgically managed when accompanied with relevant clinical symptoms or with obstruction of the natural ostium, or when involving the ostiomeatal complex or the infraorbital nerve. Endoscopic sinus surgery has become the surgical procedure of choice for removing retention cyst. Therefore, it is important for rhinologists to understand the nature and behavior of this pathology so that unnecessary surgical intervention could be avoided.