Tumor Misdiagnosed As Cancer of the Sphenoid Sinus: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) is an uncommon lesion of the upper aerodigestive tract first described by Wenig and Heffner in 1995 as prominent glandular proliferations lined by ciliated respiratory epithelium originating from the surface epithelium. Case Report: We report a case of 48-year-old women with nasal polyposis history, which consults for nasal obstruction, with suspicion of malignancy on CT. Surgical resection showed a respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH) of the nasal cavity. Conclusion: REAH is a recently described pathologic entity that can present rhinorrhea, epistaxis, hyposmia, and headaches. It is a rare lesion of nasal and paranasal sinuses, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis because it is a benign lesion and complete surgical resection is curative.

Share and Cite:

E. Hinde, B. Amal, S. Ihsane, Z. Zouhir, A. Noureddine and A. Afaf, "Tumor Misdiagnosed As Cancer of the Sphenoid Sinus: Case Report and Literature Review," International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2012, pp. 48-50. doi: 10.4236/ijohns.2012.12010.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] B. M. Wenig and D. K. Heffner, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartomas of the Sinonasal Tract and Nasopharynx: A Clinicopathologic Study of 31 Cases,” Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Vol. 104, No. 8, 1995, pp. 639-645.
[2] L. Barnes, “Schneiderian Papillomas and Nonsalivary Glandular Neoplasms of the Head and Neck,” Modern Pathology, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2002, pp. 279-297. doi:10.1038/modpathol.3880524
[3] B. Perez-Ordonez and A. G. Huvos, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma,” In: D. R. Gnepp, Ed., Diagnostic Surgical Pathology of the Head and Neck, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2001, p. 91.
[4] L. Barnes, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma,” In: L. Barnes, Ed., Surgical Pathology of the Head and Neck, 2nd Edition, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2001, pp. 485-486.
[5] Y. Himi, T. Yoshizaki, K. Sato and M. Furukawa, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma of the Maxillary Sinus,” Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Vol. 116, No. 4, 2002, pp. 317-318. doi:10.1258/0022215021910672
[6] R. Endo, H. Matsuda, M. Takahashi, M. Hara, H. Inaba and M. Tsukuda, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma in the Nasal Cavity,” Acta Otolaryngology, Vol. 122, No. 4, 2002, pp. 398-400. doi:10.1080/00016480260000085
[7] S. E. Mills, M. J. Gaffey and H. F. Frierson Jr., “Tumors of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract and Ear,” In: J. Rosai and L. H. Sobin, Eds., Atlas of Tumor Pathology, 3rd Series, Fascicle 26, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC, 2000, pp. 357-359.
[8] C. Delbrouck, S. F. Aguilar, G. Choufani and S. Hassid, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma Associated with Nasal Polyposis,” American Journal of Otolaryngology, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2004, pp. 282-284. doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2004.02.005
[9] H. P. Kessler and B. Unterman, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma of the Maxillary Sinus Presenting as a Periapical Radiolucency: A Case Report and Review of the Literature,” Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontology, Vol. 97, No. 5, 2004, pp. 607-612. doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2003.09.013
[10] A. R. Sangoi and G. Berry, “Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma: Diagnostic Pitfalls with Emphasis on Differential Diagnosis,” Advances in Anatomic Pathology, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2007, pp. 11-16. doi:10.1097/PAP.0b013e31802efb1e
[11] J. Rosai, “Respiratory Tract,” In: J. Rosai, Ed., Rosai and Ackerman’s Surgical Pathology, 9th Edition, Elsevier, Inc., New York, 2004, pp. 308-311.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.