Choanal polyps in children and adults: 10-year experience from a tertiary care hospital.

PURPOSE: Choanal polyps (CPs) are benign, solitary, soft-tissue lesions extending towards the junction between the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx through the choana. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate clinical and histological characteristics of CPs in children comparing to adult patients. METHODS: Characteristics of CPs treated in our hospital (demography, main complaints, side, localization, surgical approach, histological characteristics, accompanying paranasal sinus diseases, association with allergic rhinitis, postoperative follow-up period, and recurrence rates) were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients with CPs were included, 22 (28%) patients in children and 56 (72%) patients in adults. We found no differences in the prevalence of main nasal complaints (nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, snoring, and epistaxis) between the child and adult. In 27% children and in 7% adults, we found the oropharyngeal extension of CPs (p < 0.01). In 18% children and in 5.3% adults, we found the histological characteristics of an angiomatous CP (p < 0.05). The association with allergic rhinitis was more frequent in children (32%) than in adults (18%) (p < 0.05). In 32% pediatric patients and in 14% adult patients, we found the association with ipsilateral chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) (p < 0.05). After the surgical treatment, we found the recurrence in 3 (14%) pediatric and in 5 (8%) adult patients, without the significant difference. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest some specificities of CPs in children comparing to adults. Oropharyngeal extension, association with allergic rhinitis and ipsilateral CRS, and the presence of angiomatous histological type of CPs are more frequent in the pediatric population.

Chondromesenchymal Hamartoma With Nasopharyngeal Involvement: Two Unusual Cases of an Extremely Rare Lesion.

Chondromesenchymal hamartoma (CMH) is a rare, benign lesion of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and skull base, composed of islands of hyaline cartilage in a myxoid background. The vast majority of CMH cases are infants and young children. According to the world literature, nasopharyngeal involvement of CMH is extremely rare. In all cases, the lesions were masses protruding from the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses to the nasopharynx. We hereby report 2 adult male patients with masses completely situated in the nasopharyngeal space. In the first patient, the tumor originated from the posterior edge of the nasal septum and in the second one, from the posterolateral wall of the nasopharynx, adjacent to the pharyngeal orifice of the Eustachian tube. In both patients, the lesion was excised endoscopically, and histopathological analyses were consistent with a diagnosis of CMH. To our knowledge, those are the only cases of CMH completely situated in the nasopharynx.

Maxillary Sinus Lobular Capillary Hemangioma in a 15-Year-Old Boy.

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH) is a benign capillary proliferation with a microscopically distinctive lobular architecture, composed of small to medium-sized vessels of capillary type. Rarely, it originates from the mucosa of the nasal cavity, most frequently from the anterior nasal septum, turbinates, and nasal vestibule. Etiology is unclear, but previous investigations suggest that this lesion is associated with injury, hormonal factors, some viral infections, and therapy with some drugs. We present a case of LCH arising from the medial wall of the maxillary sinus in a 15-year-old boy, which was completely excised by preoperative embolization and endoscopic sinus surgery. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of an LCH originating from the maxillary antrum. Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment modalities of LCH were also discussed.

Simultaneous Nasal Septal Schneiderian Papilloma and Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma.

Schneiderian papilloma is typically found on the lateral nasal wall, but, in rare cases, can be located at the mucosa of the nasal septum. Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) is rare, non-neoplastic lesion characterized by an abnormal proliferation of glandular part of the respiratory nasal mucosa. We present a case of a 42-year-old man with five-year history of bilateral nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, epistaxis, and hyposmia. On endoscopic examination, we found lobulated, yellowish-pink soft tissue masses on both sides of the nasal septum. The results of histopathological analyses showed the characteristics of Schneiderian papilloma in the lesion excised from the right and REAH in the lesion excised from the left side of the nasal cavity. To our knowledge, cases of simultaneous presentation of Schneiderian papilloma and REAH on opposite sides of the nasal septum have not been published so far. An appropriate cooperation of rhinologist and pathologist allows for a correct diagnosis of these rare and unusual lesions.

Epithelial Squamous Metaplasia and Dysplasia in Inflammatory Nasal Polyps: An Observational Study.

Nasal polyposis (NP) is characterized by polypoid outgrowths of chronically inflamed respiratory mucosa. The presence of squamous metaplasia and dysplasia on the mucosal surface of nasal polyps (NPs) represents different manifestations of epithelial atypia. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the presence of epithelial squamous metaplasia and dysplasia in ethmoidal NPs. This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data involved 212 patients with NP undergoing endoscopic ethmoidectomy. To evaluate possible etiological factors for epithelial atypia, the patients in whom we histopathologically detected the presence of epithelial atypia were compared with patients with "normal" NPs in accordance with the following characteristics as found in the patients' medical records: gender, age, main symptoms, preoperative extent of sinus disease on computed tomography, atopic status, aspirin sensitivity, cigarette smoking, and occupational exposure to different noxious factors. Epithelial atypia were detected histopathologically in 44 (20.7%) NP patients, whereas features of "true" dysplasia were found in only 1 (0.5%) patient. The presence of atypia was more frequent in males than in females (P = .008). The association with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease and with long-term occupational exposure to different noxious chemicals, especially in workers exposed to salts of heavy metals, was more frequent in NP patients with epithelial atypia than in patients without atypia (P = .023; P = .006, respectively). Our results suggest epithelial atypia in NPs are associated with aspirin sensitivity and occupational exposure to different noxious chemicals. Although extremely rare, epithelial dysplasia may occasionally be noted in NPs, a fact potentially useful for both rhinologists and pathologists.

Angiomyolipoma Originating From the Nasal Vestibule: A Case Report.

Angiomyolipoma is a benign, mesenchymal, hamartomatous lesion often described in the kidney and may be associated with tuberous sclerosis. Nasal angiomyolipoma is an extremely rare tumor with fewer than 20 cases reported in the literature. We report a case of angiomyolipoma arising in the right nasal vestibule in a 68-year-old male with mild, recurrent right-sided epistaxis, and nasal obstruction. With the exception of arterial hypertension, the patient did not have any comorbidities. Gross examination showed a well-circumscribed, lobulated mass. On the microscopic level, it was composed of mature smooth muscle cells, thick-walled blood vessels of varying sizes, and islands of mature adipose tissue. Angiomyolipoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis for unilateral nasal masses, especially those situated in the nasal vestibule.

Extranasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Arising from the Anterior Nasal Septum in a 35-Year-Old Woman.

Angiofibroma is a relatively rare vascular lesion originating predominantly in the nasopharynx and occurs typically in male adolescents. Extranasopharyngeal sites of origin, such as nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx, are extremely rarely seen in clinical practice. In the nasal cavity, extranasopharyngeal angiofibromas (ENAs) have been reported to originate from the nasal septum, as well as from the middle and inferior turbinate. In this study, we report a case of a 35-year-old female patient with angiofibroma originating from the anterior part of the nasal septum with left-sided nasal obstruction and mild-to-moderate epistaxis as main complaints. After the radiological diagnostics and embolization of sphenopalatine artery, we performed the excision of the lesion with removal of small part of septal mucosa and perichondrium around the attachment of tumor pedicle. Histopathological examination suggested the presence of angiofibroma and diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. This is the fifth reported case of septal ENA in female population in the English-language literature.

Eosinophil Chemokines and Clara Cell Protein 16 Production in Nasal Mucosa of Patients with Persistent Allergic Rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: Eotaxin-2 and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) are involved in the eosinophil trafficking in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) is an anti-inflammatory protein mainly produced by the epithelial non-ciliated Clara cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the production of CC16 and chemokines eotaxin-2 and RANTES in nasal mucosa of patients with PAR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one PAR patients and 20 healthy participants were included. CC16, eotaxin-2, and RANTES concentrations were measured in nasal secretions. PAR patients were administered fluticasone furoate nasal spray (220 µg daily for 14 days). We performed nasal cytology, symptom score assessment, and inflammatory mediator detection before and after the therapy. RESULTS: The level of CC16 in patients with PAR was lower than in the healthy subjects (p=0.023). The eosinophil counts and local concentrations of eotaxin-2 and RANTES were higher in patients with PAR in comparison with controls (p=0.008, p=0.001, p=0.031, respectively). We also found a negative correlation between the CC16 and eotaxin-2 levels in nasal secretions of PAR patients (r=-0.492, p=0.023). After corticosteroid therapy, the patients with PAR had lower nasal symptoms, eosinophil counts, eotaxin-2, and RANTES levels and higher levels of CC16 (p<0.001 for all parameters). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the presence of a negative correlation in production of CC16 and eotaxin-2 in nasal mucosa of patients with PAR. Intranasal corticosteroids have a suppressive effect on mucosal eosinophilic inflammation and a stimulating effect on local CC16 production.