Pleomorphic adenoma of the nasal septum and its relationship with Epstein-Barr virus

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor of the major salivary glands, especially of the parotid gland. It is much less common in the minor salivary glands of the oral cavity, and it rarely occurs in others sites in the head and neck. Even if virus involvement in salivary glands tumor has been many times discuted, the etiology of this tumor keeps being unknown. As compared to other nasal tumors, we tried to prove if Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) could be involved in the development of pleomorphic adenoma in this particular nasal localization.

Three cases of pleomorphic adenomas of the nasal septum (two women and a man in age of 23-59 years) were retrospectively studied. All had positive rate of EBV-related blood antibodies. All the patients had undergone endoscopic surgery to remove the complete tumor. We used hybridation technique in the search for EBV-DNA in the three tumors.

We had positive EBV-DNA detection in the tumor in one case, which seemed to prove relationship between pleomorphic adenoma and this virus. The literature concerning the subject is reviewed in order to explain EBV involvement in the development of such tumors in this particular localization.