Complete recovery of visual loss following surgical treatment of mucopyocele of the anterior clinoid process.

A mucocele is a collection of mucus, which is lined by the mucus-secreting epithelium of a paranasal sinus. Paranasal sinus mucoceles occur as a result of inflammation, tumor, trauma or surgical manipulation. The anterior clinoid process may be pneumatized by an extension of the sphenoid paranasal sinus air space during normal development. Mucocele of the anterior clinoid process is rare. We report a patient with mucopyocele of the anterior clinoid process that resulted in rapid monocular visual loss. The left optic canal was exposed extradurally via a supraorbital craniotomy and the mucopyocele was totally excised. The optic canal was decompressed by drilling the superior, lateral and medial rims, to achieve circumferential decompression of the optic nerve. The patient's vision improved postoperatively.