[Dental foreign body sinusitis].
INTRODUCTION: Unilateral chronic maxillary sinusitis is frequently attributed to dental origin. The goal of this retrospective study is to determine the frequency of maxillary sinusitis due to a foreign body of dental origin and its characteristics. METHODS: Review of 197 sinusitis cases with maxillary sinus involvement operated in our department from 1991 to 1999. Selection of the 17 cases preoperatively suspect to be due to a foreign body of dental origin. RESULTS: 9% of the 197 maxillary sinusitis were classified "odontogenic". Intra-sinusal foreign bodies were identified in 5%: 2% of dental origin, 1% dental or radicular remnants, 2% of "pseudo" foreign bodies of mycotic origin. CONCLUSION: Chronic maxillary sinusitis attributable to a dental foreign body is rare and overestimated. There exists an important disproportion between the number of intra-sinusal dental foreign bodies and the number of patients who are symptomatic. Treatment is surgical by oral antrotomy and/or endonasal meatotomy. Only a prospective study could give a real estimation of the proportion of symptomatic cases and determine the predisposing factors.