The Caldwell-Luc procedure, also known as a radical antrum operation, is a surgical procedure generally done for the treatment of chronic maxillary sinusitis, a condition characterized by the obstruction and inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. It is also sometimes performed to obtain a tissue for biopsy of a tumor located in the area below the eyes. The maxillary sinuses are hollow air spaces located on both sides of the nose, just beneath the cheeks. Causes of maxillary sinusitis include allergies, nasal polyps and direct trauma to the face, among many others. Symptoms include fever, clogged nose, facial pain, runny rose and sometimes a toothache.
(George W. Caldwell, 1834-1918, American physician; Henri Luc, 1855-1925, French laryngologist), intraoral procedure for entering the maxillary antrum through the canine fossa above the maxillary premolar teeth. After opening of the maxillary antrum, the sinus mucosa is stripped from the sinus wall. Additionally, an intranasal antrostomy is made (Fig. 1). This procedure used to be commonly performed for chronic maxillary sinusitis, but has now been largely replaced by functional endoscopic sinus surgery .
Postoperatively, the sinus walls may thicken as a result of reactive bone formation; the sinus walls may also collapse, narrowing the antral cavity. Postoperative synechiae may develop within the antral cavity, possibly causing compartmentalization of the cavity and formation of postoperative mucocele
.
