The authors present an unusual case of primary carcinoma of the nasal septum in a young man, 22 years 7 months old, who works in a factory painting electric cars. No relevant facts were disclosed in his past or family history. There was no history of carcinoma in his family.
The subjective symptoms of nasal obstruction and tenderness on pressure in the nose root region had been present for about one year and a half before the patient first visited a doctor who diagnosed his disorder as chronic sinusitis and performed a sinus operation. Postoperatively, a swelling in the nose root region on the left side was observed. In addition, polypoid growth in the region of the tuberculum of the nasal septum appeared, from which repeated biopsies revealed a histological picture of squamous cell carcinoma.
The patient was admitted to the Toho University Hospital and treated with irradiation, radon-seed implanation and intravenous injections of Sarkomycin. Sincetermination of treatments to the present time three years and six months have elapsed without any signs of recurrence of the tumor and apparent cure has been achieved.
The incidence of primary carcinoma of the nasal septum is evidently very rareas only 22 cases have been reported in Japan, not including the one presented here. Of the 22 reported cases, only two occurred in young adults. The case reported here is younger than these two cases and, therefore, is the youngest to be reported in Japan. In view of the occupation of the patient, paints may be considered as an important factor in the cause of the parimary carcinoma of the nasal septum in this case.
According to histopathological study of specimens taken from the nasal septum, especially serial sections of the mucous membrane, cartilage and bone in the mass, it was learned that irradiation therapy was extremely effective in the treatment of this carcinoma which was believed to have originated from the tuberculum of the nasal septum.
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