Maxillary Sinusitis due to Dental Infection: A Case Series Study

Odontogenic infection is one of the most common causes of maxillary sinusitis which can lead to severe complications like cerebral abscess and orbital cellulitis. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of acute and chronic maxillary sinusitis by odontogenic source in 120 patients.

One hundred and twenty patients (240 sinuses) were examined by clinical examinations and their sinuses were assessed for the extent of fluid or mucosal thickening in computed tomography (CT) images and water's views. A dental examination has been performed to detect dental involvement and priapical radiography has been obtained to confirm the findings. Combination treatments were performed on five patients with refractory odontogenic sinusitis. Chi-square analysis has been used to identify the correlation between the prevalence of odontogenic sinusitis, age, and gender.

Sinus involvement caused by dental origin has been found in 11.2% of the cases. Periapical involvement of maxillary first molar has been the most common cause of sinusitis with dental source (68%). The incidence of chronic apical periodontitis has been significantly higher than the other periapical infections (75% versus 25%). The signs and symptoms of sinusitis in all five cases were eliminated after the combination treatment after four months.

Odontogenic sources especially chronic apical periodontitis may lead to inflammation of the maxillary sinus membrane which usually is ignored because of its silent progression.