Abstract

Background: Presumptive diagnosis of sinonasal masses can be achieved with the aid of clinical presentation and imaging techniques but histopathological examination remains the mainstay of final definitive diagnosis. The present study was undertaken at a tertiary level hospital to analyse clinical presentations, management and histopathological patterns of Sinonasal masses.
Material and Methods: Present study was single-center, Prospective Non-Randomised study, conducted in patients of all age groups, attending the ENT OPD with masses in sinonasal cavity, diagnosed after complete clinical examination (including endoscopic evaluation), willing to participate.
Results: 40 cases presenting with Sino Nasal cavity masses at OPD were selected as per the inclusion criteria. In our study, most of the patients were in the age group of 31-40 years, with 25% of the study population, followed by patients in the second and third decade with 20% each. There were 24 (60%) males and 16 (40%) females in the study. Overall, non-neoplastic lesions were found to be commonest in occurrence with ethmoid polyp (32.5%) having the highest incidence, followed by antrochoanal polyps (20%), Rhinosporidiosis (2.5%) and Rhinoscleroma (2.5%). Among the benign masses, inverted papilloma was most common (12.5%) followed by hemangioma (10%), ossifying fibroma and osteoma (2.5% each). Carcinoma of the maxilla presented in 3 patients (7.5%) and was the most common malignancy followed by carcinoma of the nasal cavity (5%) and malignant melanoma (2.5%). For non-neoplastic lesions (n=23), majority of the masses were excised either by open surgery or endoscopically with base cauterization (n=21). One case of rhinoscleroma involved medical management along with surgical excision. Medical management was done with antibiotic ciprofloxacin for 6 weeks. Endoscopic surgery resulted in faster recovery and cosmesis.
Conclusion: Clinical diagnosis is often difficult and have to be relied on histopathological examination of biopsy specimen and may require repeated biopsies.