Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T23:30:55.878Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Incidence of neoplasia in patients with clinically suspicious nasal lesions and the value of computed tomography imaging in diagnosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2015

P Asimakopoulos*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Edinburgh Hospitals, Scotland, UK
I Hathorn
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Edinburgh Hospitals, Scotland, UK
H Monaghan
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Scotland, UK
A T Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Edinburgh Hospitals, Scotland, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Panagiotis Asimakopoulos, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Forresterhill Road, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, Scotland, UK E-mail: panagiotis.asimakopoulos@nhs.net

Abstract

Background:

There is no consensus as to whether all routine bilateral polypectomy specimens should be sent for formal histopathological diagnosis to exclude underlying neoplastic pathology. This study assessed the necessity for histopathological investigation as routine practice in cases of bilateral and unilateral nasal lesions by estimating the incidence of unexpected pathologies. It also evaluated the ability of computed tomography to predict histopathological diagnosis in patients with unilateral nasal lesions.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was conducted of 98 patients undergoing nasal polypectomy over a 12-month period.

Results:

Five of 23 patients with a unilateral lesion on nasendoscopy had inverted papillomas on histopathological examination. None of the 75 patients with clinically bilateral lesions on nasendoscopy showed evidence of neoplasia on histopathological examination. Patients with inverted papillomas had significantly lower total Lund–Mackay scores than those with bilateral polyps. Asymmetry scores of inverted papilloma patients were significantly higher compared to both bilateral and unilateral polyps patients.

Conclusion:

The results suggest that histopathological diagnosis is only necessary in unilateral lesion patients as no unexpected histopathological diagnoses were made in bilateral lesion patients. Computed tomography imaging may have a role in predicting histopathological diagnosis by demonstrating asymmetry and less overall sinus opacification in patients with neoplastic lesions.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Hopkins, C, Browne, JP, Slack, R, Lund, V, Brown, P. The Lund-Mackay staging system for chronic rhinosinusitis: how is it used and what does it predict? Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;137:555–61Google Scholar
2Alun-Jones, T, Hill, J, Leighton, SE, Morrissey, MS. Is routine histological examination of nasal polyps justified? Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci 1990;15:217–19Google Scholar
3Diamantopoulos, II, Jones, NS, Lowe, J. All nasal polyps need histological examination: an audit-based appraisal of clinical practice. J Laryngol Otol 2000;114:755–9Google Scholar
4Kale, SU, Mohite, U, Rowlands, D, Drake-Lee, AB. Clinical and histopathological correlation of nasal polyps: are there any surprises? Clin Otolaryngol 2001;26:321–3Google Scholar
5Garavello, W, Gaini, RM. Histopathology of routine nasal polypectomy specimens: a review of 2,147 cases. Laryngoscope 2005;115:1866–8Google Scholar
6Arslan, HH, Hidir, Y, Durmaz, A, Karslioglu, Y, Tosun, F, Gerek, M. Unexpected tumor incidence in surgically removed unilateral and bilateral nasal polyps. J Craniofac Surg 2011;22:751–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Yaman, H, Alkan, N, Yilmaz, S, Koc, S, Belada, A. Is routine histopathological analysis of nasal polyposis specimens necessary? Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2011;268:1013–15Google Scholar
8Romashko, AA, Stankiewicz, JA. Routine histopathology in uncomplicated sinus surgery: is it necessary? Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;132:407–12Google Scholar
9Ahsan, F, El-Hakim, H, Ah-See, KW. Unilateral opacification on paranasal sinus CT scans. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;133:178–80CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Kaplan, BA, Kountakis, SE. Diagnosis and pathology of unilateral maxillary sinus opacification with or without evidence of contralateral disease. Laryngoscope 2004;114:981–5Google Scholar
11Rudralingam, M, Jones, K, Woolford, TJ. The unilateral opaque maxillary sinus on computed tomography. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2002;40:504–7Google Scholar
12Lehnerdt, G, Weber, J, Dost, P. Unilateral opacification of the paranasal sinuses in CT or MRI: an indication of an uncommon histological finding [in German]. Laryngorhinootologie 2001;80:141–5Google Scholar
13Matsuwaki, Y, Ookushi, T, Asaka, D, Mori, E, Nakajima, T, Yoshida, T et al. Chronic rhinosinusitis: risk factors for the recurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis based on 5-year follow-up after endoscopic sinus surgery. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2008;146:7781Google Scholar