CASE REPORT Maxillary sinus aplasia Bruno Ramos Chrcanovic & Belini Freire-Maia # Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract Purpose A case of unilateral aplasia is reported. Associated anatomical anomalies and review of the literature is described, and a comparison with maxillary sinus hypopla- sia is made. Patient A 40-year-old male was complaining of an esthetic “defect” in his face. There was an antero-posterior depression in the left infraorbital region. Computed tomography showed absence of the left maxillary antrum, uncinate process, and maxillary infundibulum. The ipsilat- eral orbit was increased in volume inferiorly, and the inferior margin was immediately adjacent to the root of the inferior turbinate. The left inferior and middle turbinate was hyperplastic. The nasal septum was a little dislocated to the ipsilateral side. There was no history of antecedent sinusitis or surgery, and no evidence of systemic disease. An appositional en bloc autogenous bone graft was placed on the left infraorbital depression. Conclusions With precise computed tomography assess- ments, a maxillary sinus hypoplasia or aplasia can be diagnosed and distinguished from other maxillary sinus anomalies, and may help the surgeon to plan his surgical procedure and identify the limits of dissection accordingly. The condition can also “cause” an esthetical deficit in the infraorbital/zygomatic region, which can be resolved with an appositional graft. Keywords Maxillary sinus . Aplasia . Hypoplasia . Computed tomography Introduction Maxillary sinus hypoplasia (MSH) is an anomaly of the paranasal sinuses occasionally encountered. Maxillary sinus aplasia (MSA) however is a rarely encountered condition [1]. These clinical entities can arise as a result of the developmental defects, trauma, surgery, systemic illness, or neoplasm [2]. The correct diagnosis is important, because the apparent opacification of the maxillary antrum on sinus radiographs can lead to an incorrect diagnosis of chronic sinusitis of maxillary antral tumor and enlargement of the ipsilateral orbital cavity can misdiagnosed as orbital masses [3], and the patient are often treated inappropriately. A case of unilateral aplasia is reported. Associated anatomical anomalies and review of the literature is described, and a comparison with maxillary sinus hypoplasia is made. Case report A 40-year-old male presented to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil complaining of an esthetic “defect” in his face. There was an antero-posterior depression in the left infraorbital region (Fig. 1). The patient related no headaches and no occurrences of previous sinusitis. B. R. Chrcanovic (*) Av. Raja Gabaglia, 1000/1209, Gutierrez, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30441-070, Brazil e-mail: brunochrcanovic@hotmail.com B. Freire-Maia Av. do Contorno 4747/1010, Serra, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30110-921, Brazil e-mail: belinimaia@lifecenter.com.br B. Freire-Maia Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Pontifícia Universidade Católica De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Oral Maxillofac Surg DOI 10.1007/s10006-009-0200-6