Malignant tumours of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses in north of Iraq a fifteen years retrospective study

ABSTRACT

To identify the different pathological types of malignant tumors of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, their different clinical aspects, treatment received and prognosis in north of Iraq. Retrospective study. Files of patients treated in the hospital of oncology and nuclear medicine in Mosul over 15 years period [1980-1994]. Types, incidence, age and sex distribution, anatomical sites, clinical presentation, staging, method of treatment and prognosis. They consitiuted 0.51 percent of all malignancies and 2.13 percent of head and neck cancers. Sinus tumours affected both sexes equally as well as both sides. Nasal cavity tumours were more common in male [male/female=1.4/1] and in the right side [right/left=1.33/1]. The commonest age at presentation was the fifth decade. The most common presenting symptom was facial and nasal pain with average delay in diagnosis of about 8.5 months. Tumours of epithelial origin formed the majority of cases [85.68 percent]. All maxillary and ethmoidal cases were advanced at time of diagnosis [T3 or T4], while 60 percent of nasal cavity tumours were T1 and T2. 21.87 percent of patients had palpable cervical lymph nodes at presentation. The majority of patients received radiotherapy alone, few cases had surgery alone or both, but prognosis was generally unsatisfactory. Malignant tumours of nose and sinuses are rare in north of Iraq, are usually advanced at presentation, and carry poor prognosis