Regression of a sphenochoanal polyp in a child

OBJECTIVES: To present an unusual case of a sphenochoanal polyp that regressed and review the etiology of such polyps in comparison to the commoner antrochoanal polyp. STUDY DESIGN: Case study. METHODS: One was incidentally discovered in a girl aged 3 years, 8 months at postnasal mirror examination after adenotonsillectomy. RESULTS: Computed tomography scans 1 month later confirmed the polyp, but three months later, MRI scans only revealed sphenoid sinus opacification. Sphenoidotomy revealed normal sinuses implying inflammation had resolved. CONCLUSION: This patient is believed to be the youngest reported to have sphenochoanal polyp, and the only one where the polyp had completely regressed. This regression suggests that sphenochoanal polyps may be more common than is thought but are mostly asymptomatic.     

Sphenochoanal polyp—Surgical review

A sphenochoanal polyp is a rare lesion that originates in the sphenoid sinus and protrudes through the choana into the nasopharynx. It can occur at any age but is especially common in adolescents and young adults. We present a case of a sphenochoanal polyp in a seven-year-old girl who presented with bilateral nasal obstruction and an altered voice. The presentation of a sphenochoanal polyp is similar to that of the more common antrochoanal polyp, but the two can only be differentiated on cross-sectional imaging (computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging). Endoscopic sinus surgery allows for complete removal and minimizes the risk of recurrence.     

Isolated sphenochoanal polyp: A rare clinical entity

Choanal polyps almost always appear as solitary growth and most commonly arise from the maxillary sinus. Isolated polyp originating from the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus or from its interior and extending as choanal polyp in to the nasopharynx are extremely rare clinical entities. Here we report a 34-year-old male presenting with a history of headache, intermittent nasal discharge and nasal obstruction. A diagnosis of sphenochoanal polyp (SCP) was made on nasal endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. The SCP was removed endoscopically via a transnasal sphenoidotomy and histopathologically it was confirmed as inflammatory polyp. In this paper we discuss the clinical presentation and surgical management of this rare clinical entity.     

Sphenochoanal polyp: endoscopic surgery

Sphenochoanal polyp is a rare entity originating from sphenoid sinus. It may be confused with antrochoanal polyp on anterior rhinoscopy because of its similar appearance. Computerized tomography and nasal endoscopy have contributed to an increase of accuracy in the diagnosis of these masses. Simple polypectomy that leaves some part of the polyp inside the sphenoid sinus carries a high risk of recurrence. Destructive external approaches to gain access to the sphenoid sinus are also not advisable in children for a benign disease. We present two cases of sphenochoanal polyps in two children that were operated by endonasal endoscopic approach. They were free of symptoms after surgery. No complications and recurrences were observed at 28 and 18 months of follow-up periods respectively.     

鼻内镜手术治疗出血坏死性鼻息肉疗效探讨

目的 探讨鼻内镜手术治疗鼻及鼻窦出血坏死性息肉的可行性及疗效。方法 回顾性分析2002年1月至2010年1月治疗23例鼻及鼻窦出血坏死性息肉的临床资料。病理诊断明确,术前行鼻内镜检查、鼻窦CT及MRI,全身或局部麻醉鼻内镜下行肿物切除术,尤其是辨清其基底及起源地,并完整彻底切除鼻及鼻窦病变组织,是有效防止复发的关键。结果 经鼻内镜手术治愈22例(95.7%),有效1例(4.3%),术中出血少,22例随访2～6年未见复发,1例1年后复发,经鼻内镜联合柯-陆径路再次手术,术后随访2年未见复发。结论 鼻内镜手术治疗鼻及鼻窦出血坏死性息肉,创伤小、出血少、复发率低,彻底切除及术后随访至关重要,是一种简便、安全、有效的首选治疗方法。     

Simultaneous antrochoanal and sphenochoanal polyps: a rare clinical entity

Choanal polyps almost always appear as solitary growths and most commonly arise from the maxillary sinus. Sphenochoanal and ethmoidochoanal polyps are extremely rare. Co-existence of more than one choanal polyp is even more infrequent. We present a patient with an antrochoanal and an accompanying sphenochoanal polyp for the first time in the literature. We discuss the clinical presentation, pathogenesis and surgical management of this rare clinical entity.     

蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的诊断和治疗(附3例报告)

目的探讨鼻内镜在蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的诊断和治疗中的作用.方法3例蝶窦后鼻孔息肉患者均在鼻内镜下切除息肉.结果术后平均随访12个月,3例患者头痛及鼻塞症状均消失,息肉未复发,无并发症发生.结论鼻内镜检查和CT扫描是诊断蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的重要辅助方法;经鼻内镜手术是蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的首选治疗方法.     

Endoscopic sinus surgery in chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis: a comparative study

Nasal polyposis are common presentations in patients of chronic rhinosinusitis and are considered to be associated with more severe forms of disease with poor treatment outcome. The presentation and treatment outcome after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis have been analysed in this study. A prospective analysis of 90 patients of chronic rhinosinusitis who were classified into two groups depending on presence and absence of nasal polyps was performed in the study. The two groups were evaluated using subjective (patient complaints) and objective (computed tomography scan and endoscopy scores) criteria. Preoperative data were compared with data obtained 12?months post endoscopic sinus surgery. The study included 38 patients of chronic rhinosinusitis and 52 patients of nasal polyps. The patients of nasal polyp group presented with increased severity of symptoms of nasal blockage, nasal discharge and reduced sense of smell as compared to the chronic rhinosinusitis group who had significantly higher presentation of headache and facial pain. The preoperative CT scan revealed significantly higher bilateral disease with increased involvement of multiple sinuses in nasal polyp group. Post endoscopic sinus surgery both the groups showed significant improvement in their symptoms with the nasal polyp group demonstrating reduction in improvement on 1?year follow up. In our study we have found the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyp have varied severity of symptoms with the nasal polyp group having higher nasal symptoms and increased severity as compared to chronic rhinosinusitis group. Though the universal rationale of management by adequate drainage and ventilation of sinus is similar in both groups, there is a reduction in both objective and subjective scores during 1?year follow up in the nasal polyp group.     

Superantigens and chronic rhinosinusitis: detection of staphylococcal exotoxins in nasal polyps

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The role of infectious agents in the etiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) remains unclear. Recent studies have provided indirect evidence of exposure to staphylococcal exotoxins in the blood and polyp tissue of patients with CRSwNP. These exotoxins have the capacity to act as superantigens, bypassing normal antigen processing and directly stimulating a massive inflammatory response. The objective of the study was to analyze mucus and polyp tissue samples from patients with CRSwNP for the presence of staphylococcal exotoxins. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: Tissue and mucus samples were obtained from 42 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis and 11 normal control patients. Twenty-nine of 42 patients had chronic rhinosinusitis with bilateral nasal polyposis, 2 had antrochoanal polyps, and 11 had chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Eleven patients without chronic rhinosinusitis or polyps served as normal control patients. Specimens were analyzed for the presence of five staphylococcal exotoxins (SEA, SEB, SEC, SED, and toxic shock syndrome toxin type 1 [TSST-1]) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histological analysis of specimens and mean eosinophil counts were correlated with the presence of toxin. RESULTS: At least one toxin was detected in 14 of 29 patients with bilateral nasal polyposis. Nine of the 14 patients also had positive findings for additional toxins. The dominant histological pattern in the CRSwNP patient group was polypoid mucosa with edema, which was found in both ELISA-positive and ELISA-negative patients. Mean eosinophil counts tended to be higher in ELISA-positive patients with polyps compared with patients without toxin detection. No toxin was detected in the 11 specimens taken from normal control patients. Only 1 of the 13 patients with CRS without polyps had positive ELISA results for toxin. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates the presence of superantigen toxins in 14 of 29 patients with CRSwNP, with SEB and TSST-1 being the most common. Further studies are necessary to correlate the presence of toxin with the pathological changes present in polyp tissue.     

Sphenochoanal polyp - a rare diagnosis in nasal obstruction

One of the most common nasal pathologies to present to an otolaryngologist is polyposis. Two well-recognized forms occur, the common antrochoanal polyp and the rare sphenochoanal polyp. Differentiation between the two is necessary for proper management by endoscopic sinus surgery.     

Sphenochoanal polyp with heterotopic glial tissue

An isolated polyp arising from the sphenoid sinus is rare. Due to the presence of important structures adjacent to the sphenoid sinus, a proper pre-operative radiological and nasal endoscopic evaluation is mandatory, along with a neurological and ophthalmological assessment. We report the case of a 23-year-old man with a sphenochoanal polyp with heterotopic glial tissue in the stroma. A Medline search did not reveal any previously reported cases of glial tissue in the sphenoid sinus presenting as a sphenochoanal polyp.     

Sphenochoanal polyp: diagnose and treatment

Choanal polyps (CP) are benign mucous tumours that usually originate in the mucosa of the maxillary sinus, and hence are termed antrochoanal polyps. CP rarely originates in the mucosa of other nasal structures and paranasal sinuses. The purpose of this brief clinical communication is to present six cases of CP originating in the sphenoidal sinus and termed sphenochoanal polyps (SCP).     

Choanal polyps: an evaluation of 53 cases

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience on the diagnosis and treatment of choanal polyps (CP). METHODS: This study consists of 53 patients with CP diagnosed by means of rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy, computerized tomography, surgical, and histologic findings between 1996 and 2005. RESULTS: The origins of the CPs were the unilateral maxillary sinus in 47 patients, simultaneously bilateral maxillary sinus in 2 patients, septum in 2 patients, sphenoid sinus in I patient, anterior ethmoid sinus in 1 patient. The most common presenting symptoms were unilateral nasal obstruction, snoring, and rhinorrhea. In the cases of the antrochoanal polyps, the most common preoperative radiological finding was the total opacification of the maxillary sinus. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic approach for complete removal of the CPs is an extremely safe and effective procedure. It should be focused on the detection of the exact origin and the extent of the polyp to prevent recurrence.     

Choanal polyp originating from the nasal septum: a case report

Almost all nasal polyps originate from the mucosa of the lateral walls of the nasal cavity or from the paranasal sinuses. A choanal polyp is the intranasal portion of a cyst that has arisen from the wall of the maxillary sinus near the ostium. Medially based polyps, such as those that arise from the nasal septum, are rare. The literature cites a wide range of incidence rates for polyps originating from this structure, but choanal extension of this type of polyp is extremely unusual. This report describes a polyp that arose from the superior aspect of the posterior nasal septum and extended through the choana into the nasopharynx. The histology of this choanal lesion was typical of nasal polyps, but the site of origin is rare. The ethiopathogenesis of nasal polyps with its common location remains controversial so it is difficult to speculate what mechanism triggered the development of this lesion on the nasal septum. Some form of local inflammation may have induced choanal polyp formation at this atypical site.     

Solitary polyps of the uncinate process

Cases of a solitary polyp of the nasal cavity are much less common than cases of massive polyposis. The most important factor in the formation of solitary polyps is the anatomic variations that result in mucosal contacts. We report the case of a patient who had bilateral solitary polyps of the uncinate process. Radiologic and clinical examinations revealed a medially bent uncinate process in the right nasal cavity and a bifid uncinate process in the left nasal cavity. These structures were the origins of the polyps.     

Nasal polyps in children

The inflammatory nasal polyp is the most common benign or malignant nasal mass seen in children. Nasal polyps in the pediatric population appear to occur as inflammatory responses to bacterial infections. In 33% of the patients with polyps whom we studied, antral choanal polyps were noted, and in 20% of the patients the polyps were unilateral but not antral choanal. In 18% of the patients the polyps were bilateral and in an additional 29% they occurred bilaterally in association with cystic fibrosis. History of an allergy is infrequently associated with nasal polyps; allergies are potentially major contributing factors to nasal polyps only in patients without cystic fibrosis whose nasal polyps are bilateral. Patients with antral choanal polyps are most successfully managed by simultaneous Caldwell-Luc antrostomy and polypectomy. Sixty percent of patients with nasal polyps and cystic fibrosis are adequately managed with a single intranasal polypectomy. Simultaneous sinus surgery and polypectomy should be considered for all patients with recurrent polyps and for all patients with clinical or radiographic evidence of significant sinusitis. Complications, including epistaxis and intranasal synechia, occurred in 3% of the 170 surgical procedures performed.     

鼻内镜下鼻息肉切除术对伴发的变应性鼻炎和哮喘症状的影响

目的了解鼻息肉患者接受鼻窦内窥镜手术后变应性鼻炎、哮喘症状的改变。方法采用回顾性研究的方法,应用量化标准评估75例鼻息肉患者术前和术后的变应性鼻炎、哮喘症状及用药情况。结果鼻窦内窥镜手术后, 鼻息肉患者伴发的变应性鼻炎症状有明显改善,显效率为80.00%,有效率为14.67%,而对伴发的哮喘症状治疗效果不明显。结论鼻窦内窥镜手术后,鼻息肉患者伴发的变应性鼻炎症状有明显改善,变应性鼻炎伴有鼻息肉、鼻窦炎者应尽早手术治疗,对鼻息肉伴有哮喘的患者,要正确评估其预后,采取综合治疗措施。     

蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的鼻内镜治疗(附3例报告)

目的探讨蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的临床特征、诊断和鼻内镜手术治疗效果。方法对3例蝶窦后鼻孔息肉病人术前行冠状位CT扫描并行鼻内镜手术治疗。结果鼻内镜检查和冠状位CT扫描可确定息肉的起源。所有病人均一次治愈,术后随访8~26个月未见复发。结论临床特征、鼻内镜检查和冠状位CT扫描对蝶窦后鼻孔息肉的诊断起重要作用,鼻内镜手术是最佳治疗方法。     

水通道蛋白-5与鼻息肉手术疗效的相关性

目的观察水通道蛋白-5（aquaporin-5,AQP5）在鼻息肉术后未复发及复发患者鼻息肉组织中的表达及分布,初步探讨AQP5在鼻息肉中的表达程度与鼻息肉手术疗效的相关性。方法选取鼻息肉患者63例,两侧病变以病重侧计,所有病例均在鼻内镜下行鼻息肉摘除及窦口开放术。取63例鼻息肉组织,用4％多聚甲醛固定,石蜡包埋,连续切片,应用HE染色和免疫组织化学技术检测AQP5在未复发和复发鼻息肉组织中的阳性细胞的表达,对AQP5表达程度和手术疗效进行相关性统计学分析。结果AQP5在鼻息肉术后未复发组中的阳性细胞表达显著降低,与复发组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。结论AQP5的高表达可能与术后鼻息肉复发有一定关系;鼻息肉的AQP5的表达程度可以作为预测鼻息肉患者预后指标之一。