Intestinal type adenocarcinoma of the ethmoid sinus in wood and leather workers: a retrospective study of 153 cases.

BACKGROUND The purpose of our study was to identify the role of work exposure to organic dusts in patients with malignant paranasal sinus tumors. METHODS We analyzed all patients surgically treated for a malignant paranasal sinus tumor at our institution between 1987 and 2006. All patients were specifically asked about their occupational history. The tumor site was classified as maxillary or ethmoid sinus. Adenocarcinomas were divided into intestinal type (ITAC) and non-ITAC. RESULTS The sample included 345 patients with ethmoid sinus and 301 maxillary sinus. Regarding the ethmoid sinus, we found an exposure to organic dusts in 148 of 153 patients with ITAC, in 3 of 16 patients with non-ITAC adenocarcinoma, and in 10 of 176 patients with other tumors. Regarding the maxillary sinus, we found an exposure in 1 of 20 patients with non-ITAC adenocarcinoma and in 4 of 281 patients with other histologies. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that only ethmoid ITACs have an indisputable relationship with the exposure to organic dusts.