Clinical and Histologic Features of Antrochoanal Polyps

ABSTRACT

Antrochoanal polyp (ACP) usually appears as a large, soft, gelatinous mass in the nasopharynx. Recently, ACP is considered as a separate entity among sinonasal polyps. Histologically, the antral part of the polyp can be cystic or polypoid with a fibrous and solid choanal part. However, the extent of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses has not well been demonstrated. In addition, pathologic patterns of ACP have not been well revealed. The aim of our study is to evaluate the disease patterns of ACPs by clinical and pathologic analysis. Thirty two patients with ACPs were evaluated by a retrospective study. We evaluated sinus involvement by operative findings and pathologic patterns were investigated in 28 cases by predominant infiltrating cells and types of polyp. In order to evaluate the histologic differences between the antral and choanal portion, each A CP was divided into proximal and distal portion. The involved sinuses were multiple and diverse and the most of them had a polyp. The most common pathologic type was chronic inflammatory polyp. Lymphocyte and neutrophil were visualized in many ACPs predominantly. The histologic differences between the proximal and distal portion was not observed significantly. Clinical analysis suggest that ACPs are not sole polyp but mixed disease with inflammation of the nose and sinuses in most cases. Histologic analysis suggest that ACPs are caused by chronic inflammation in many cases and each portion of ACPs is composed of the same histologic type.