ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Inverted papilloma is a locally-aggressive benign neoplasm of the paranasal sinuses with a high potential for recurrence and malignancy. Intracranial extension is infrequent, and dural penetration even more so, typically associated with recurrence of the disease or its degeneration into squamous cell carcinoma. CLINICAL CASE: A 32-year-old female patient consulted us for an exophytic lesion in her right nostril and exophthalmos, associated with headache, anosmia and dysgeusia. Craniofacial and brain CT and brain MRI demonstrated a lesion in the right nostril, extending into the aerial sinuses, orbital lateral wall and anterior fossa, with osteolysis and intracranial invasion towards the right frontal region. A mass effect and brain compression were noted. A histological diagnosis of inverted papilloma was made initially. Upon later resection of the lesion by double access, with reconstruction of the anterior cranial fossa, a definitive diagnosis was made of inverted papilloma of the Schneiderian type, with areas of atypical transformation in situ. Post-operatively, the patient has had a favorable course, with full upper airway patency and neither complications nor signs of recurrence after four years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial invasion of this pathology is extremely uncommon. When it exists, the tumor has a high potential for local recurrence. Consequently, complete excision of the lesion determines the patient's prognosis.
