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Sphenoid Sinus Carcinoma

OVERVIEW:

Primary neoplasms of the sphenoid sinus are relatively uncommon, accounting for approximately 1–2% of all paranasal sinus tumors. These tumors tend to be locally invasive and include a wide variety of tumors as seen in our recent article on this topic.

SYMPTOMS:

Sinus carcinomas typically cause epistaxis (nasal bleeding), facial pain, cavernous sinus symptoms (double vision or facial numbness) and headache. Less frequently, they may cause symptoms of pituitary failure (hypopituitarism).

DIAGNOSIS:

These tumors are typically diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computer tomography (CT) scans of the brain and paranasal sinuses.

TREATMENT:

Their aggressive nature typically warrants multimodality treatment including endonasal transsphenoidal surgical debulking, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in some cases.