Sinusitis-induced Enophthalmos: The Silent Sinus Syndrome

Abstract

Enophthalmos caused by inadequate maxillary sinus function was first reported in 1964. Since this initial report, scattered case reports and, more recently, reviews have appeared in the literature detailing the pathophysiology, clinical findings, and management of this process. We present a classic case of the asymptomatic development of enophthalmos caused by maxillary sinus hypoventilation: the silent sinus syndrome. In addition, this case included findings in the ethmoid sinuses that suggested their contribution to this disorder, which by our review of the literature has not been well described.