A Case of Angiomyoma of the Inferior Turbinate

ABSTRACT

Vascular leiomyoma (Angiomyoma) is a benign tumor composed of smooth muscle cell and vascular endothelium. Most of them occur at the skin of the lower leg. Cases of vascular leiomyomas developing in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. Most common symptoms are nasal obstruction, epistaxis and nasal pain but none are specific for diagnosis. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice and was used in all cases reported. Local recurrence rate is very low. We experienced a case of vascular leiomyoma in the inferior turbinate of a 70-year-old woman who complained of intermittent epistaxis. The tumor was successfully removed via an endoscopic approach. It displayed the characteristic histological findings of abundant thick-walled blood vessels blending with proliferative smooth muscle tissue.