OBJECTIVETo sum up the follow-up outcomes of endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure (EMLP) and retrospectively analyze the indications, methods and prognostic factors of EMLP.

METHODSThe collected data of 73 cases who received EMLP with frontal sinus diseases were analyzed in this paper. The mean age was 45.6 (ranging from 14 to 72 years). There were 52 males and 21 females. Only patients with follow-up time greater or equal to 6 months were included. Paranasal sinus CT scan was adopted for all cases and MRI for tumor patients. All patients were followed under endoscope.

RESULTSThere were 21 inverted papilloma in the frontal sinus, 16 chronic sinusitis with asthma, 12 frontal sinusitis, 9 chronic sinusitis with or without polyps, 7 osteoma of the frontal sinus, 4 frontal mucocele, 3 allergic fungal sinusitis and 1 congenital encephalocele. Sixty-one cases had prior surgical history (1.8 times on the average). Their mean follow-up was 25.0 months, (ranging from 6 to 122 months). At the end of follow-up, 44 cases (60.3%) had well opened frontal drainage pathway. Twenty-five (34.2%) was re-stenosed and 4 (5.5%) closed. Seven cases (9.6%) underwent revision surgeries. There were no surgical complications.

CONCLUSIONSEMLP is an effective and salvage procedure in dealing with tumor of frontal sinus and recurrent frontal sinusitis. Combined with medical treatment, EMLP will have a better results for chronic sinusitis with or without polyps and asthma. The degree of diseases, mucosal loss, anatomic variability and prior surgeries are important prognostic factors.