Pteroid sinusitis does not usually heal on its own without aggressive treatment. In the case of acute pterygoid sinusitis, it may transform into chronic pterygoid sinusitis, which, if left untreated, may cause significant discomfort.
The main clinical manifestations of patients with pterygoid sinusitis are nasal congestion, runny nose, headache and localized pain: dull pain at the base of the skull or deep in the eye, which may sometimes radiate to the top of the head and behind the ear, and may also cause pain in the occipital region, and in some patients, blurred vision of the eye. In acute attacks of pterygoid sinusitis, there may be changes in the sense of smell. The treatment of acute pterygoid sinusitis is mainly to eradicate the cause of the disease, remove the obstruction of nasal sinus ventilation and drainage, control infection and prevent complications. The first is systemic treatment, which generally treats the same respiratory tract infection and acute rhinitis, with proper rest and an adequate amount of antibiotics to control the infection and prevent complications or transformation into chronic. For patients with a clear causative agent, choose a sensitive antibiotic, and for those who cannot, choose a broad-spectrum antibiotic. If there is an infection in an adjacent site such as maxillary sinusitis, or a systemic chronic disease, the treatment should be targeted. Local nasal spray with intranasal decongestants and glucocorticoids can be used to reduce the symptoms of swelling and hypertrophy of the turbinates and improve nasal ventilation and drainage. If the acute pteroid sinusitis is not treated thoroughly or in a timely manner, and if it persists and turns into chronic pteroid sinusitis, surgical treatment is required.
Therefore, butterfly sinusitis is generally not self-healing and must be actively treated to avoid aggravating the inflammation and causing significant discomfort and serious complications.