Sinonasal Hemangioma: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Follow-Up of 37 Patients at a Single Center

Abstract

Purpose: Hemangioma is a common benign vascular lesion of the head and neck region. It rarely involves the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. It should be added to the differential diagnosis of nasal cavity masses when the presenting symptoms are epistaxis or nasal obstruction.

Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of a histologic diagnosis of lobular capillary hemangioma or cavernous hemangioma of the sinonasal mucous membranes treated at the Chonbuk National University Hospital from January 1995 through December 2015. There were 1,479 patients diagnosed with hemangiomas in the total body area. Medical records were reviewed to gather data on clinical symptoms, demographic characteristics, site of tumor, imaging and histologic features, and treatment. A review of the literature on previously diagnosed cases of sinonasal hemangioma was performed.

Results: Three hundred patients had hemangiomas in the head and neck region and only 37 patients (12.5%) had hemangiomas of the sinonasal mucous membranes. The most common complaint was nasal obstruction (59.5%), followed by epistaxis (51.4%). There were 18 male (48.6%) and 19 female (51.4%) patients. The predominant subsites were the nasal septum (40.5%), followed by the inferior turbinate (29.7%), the maxillary sinus (8.1%), and the uncinate process (8.1%). Lobular capillary hemangioma (24 of 37) was more common than cavernous hemangioma (13 of 37). There was a meaningful correlation between the histologic type and tumor site of the hemangioma.

Conclusion: Sinonasal hemangiomas are relatively uncommon. Clinicians should be aware of the clinical, radiologic, and histologic features of sinonasal hemangiomas to avoid a misdiagnosis of a malignant tumor, angiofibroma, or other benign mass.