Clinico-pathological profile of sinonasal masses: a study from a tertiary care hospital of India

The present study examined the clinico-pathological profile of sinonasal masses in patients attending an Ear Nose Throat clinic of a rural tertiary care hospital of western Maharashtra in India, between May 2007 to June 2009. During the study period, 112 patients presented with sinonasal masses (male 68, female 44; age group 8-70 years). Nasal polyploid masses were non-neoplastic in 80 (71.4%) subjects, and neoplastic in 32 (28.6%) cases. Nasal obstruction was the most common (97.3%) presenting complaint, followed by rhinorrhoea (49.1%), hyposmia (31.25%), intermittent epistaxis (17.9%), headache (16.9%), facial swelling (11.6%) and eye-related symptoms (10.7%). The most common site of origin of polyploid masses was the middle meatus (54.4%) followed by the lateral wall of the nasal cavity (16.1%) and superior meatus (10.7%). Unilateral nasal masses was present in 47.7% patients, while the remaining patients had bilateral nasal masses. Allergic (62.5%) and inflammatory (25%) polyps were the most common non-neoplastic mass. Haemangioma (47.3%) and inverted papilloma (36.8%) were most common benign neoplastic mass; 92.3% of all malignant masses were squamous cell carcinoma. Surgery was the major mode of treatment. It included Caldwell-Luc operation (7.1%), polypectomy (17.8%), excision of mass (25.0%) and functional endoscopic sinus surgery (44.6%). Malignancies were treated with radiotherapy.