Sinonasal adenocarcinoma presented as a giant anterior cranial fossa mass: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal adenocarcinoma accounts for less than 0.1-4% of all malignancies in the region. It is common among woodworkers and leather workers. Sinonasal adenocarcinoma usually arises from the ethmoid sinus (40%) or nasal cavity (25%). Extension to nearby structures is common, but intracranial spread is very rare. These tumors are usually treated with surgery, with a reported 5-year survival rate of 59% to 80%. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a 60-year-old Black African male patient who presented with globalized headache, nasal obstruction with snoring during sleep, anosmia, change in mentation, sometimes agitation and left-side visual loss of one-year duration with worsening his above symptoms over the last one month. He couldn't smell soap bilaterally; in his left eye he could see only hand movement at nearly 30 cm. On brain magnetic resonance imaging, there was a T1 hypo- and T2 hyper-intense anterior cranial fossa mass arising from the left ethmoid sinuses and sphenoid sinuses and compressing the left optic structures, and brain computed tomography demonstrated heterogeneous hypo- to isodense mass. Complete tumor excision achieved and discharged with significant improvement and linked to oncology unit for radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The management of these patients is multidisciplinary, involving neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, oncologists, and maxillofacial surgeons. Surgical resection is the main treatment strategy, followed by radiotherapy, particularly intensity-modulated therapy. Chemotherapy is used in highly advanced, metastatic, and unresectable tumors.

Post Traumatic Frontal Sinus Mucocele with Subcutaneous Extension: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Langenbach (1820) first described paranasal sinus mucoceles under the name of hydatids. Roulette (1909) introduced the name mucocele. Paranasal sinus mucocele is the accumulation of mucus secretions and exfoliated epithelium in the sinuses, causing enlargement of the sinus walls. It is considered a cystic, dilatation-eroding lesion. However, the mucocele often occurs as a localized mass, causing bone erosion and displacement of surrounding structures. If left untreated, a nearby mucocele in the brain can become infected and lead to death. Frontal sinuses are often involved; sphenoid, ethmoid, and maxillary mucoceles are rare. Mucoceles usually result from sinus ostium obstruction due to infection, fibrosis, inflammation, trauma, surgery, or obstruction by tumors such as osteomas. Of all causes, patients most often present with cranio-facial trauma (82.97%) and the most common mechanism is human aggression (90.85%). Case Presentation: This 30-year-old male patient presented with a frontal head swelling of one year duration that started after he sustained a stick injury on the frontal head one year ago, and he has an associated frontal headache for one year. There was a 4x5cm frontal, firm, palpable, non-tender lesion extending from the nasion to the frontal head. On the brain CT scan, there was frontal bone erosion at multiple sites with partial frontal sinus opacity, an externally growing mass, and an old frontal sinus fracture noted. Bifrontal craniotomy and bilateral frontal sinus cranialization were done, and the patient was discharged on the third day and seen a month later with complete improvement from headache and swelling. Conclusion: The incidence and pathophysiology of posttraumatic frontal sinus mucoceles are not known yet. The surgical management of mucocele demand a multidisciplinary team involving neurosurgeons, ear nose and throat surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists and plastic and reconstructive surgeons. By treating the primary cause, frontal sinus fracture at contact, this case report aims to raise awareness of and prevent frontal sinus mucocele and related complications.