Paragangliomas of the head and neck region may be found at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery, jugular fossa, and tympanum, but those occurring in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. We describe our experience with a case of paraganglioma arising in the right paranasal sinus.
The patient was a 66-year-old woman with the chief complaints of right-sided nasal obstruction and purulent nasal discharge. Examination of the internal nose revealed a brownish polyp-like lesion filling the right nasal cavity. CT and MRI of the paranasal sinuses showed a mass lesion in the ethmoid sinus. Based on the biopsy results, a paraganglioma was suspected, and we performed a tumorectomy via an endoscopic transnasal approach. Histopathological examination of the resected specimens confirmed the diagnosis of paraganglioma. At present, 12 months since the surgery, the patient remains asymptomatic.
It is extremely difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant paragangliomas. Furthermore, paragangliomas may recur locally or metastasize to other parts of the body. Therefore, it is necessary to continue monitoring the patient's condition closely over a long period of time.
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