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Published on: February 28, 2019
Cancer of the nasal cavity in the pediatric population
Margo McKenna Benoit1, Neil Bhattacharyya, William Faquin
1Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, USA. margo_benoit@meei.harvard.edu
Insights
Pediatric nasal masses are often malignant, presenting with vague symptoms like congestion. Early diagnosis of rare cancers such as esthesioneuroblastoma requires a high index of suspicion.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Otolaryngology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Malignant nasal masses in children are rare but serious conditions.
- Clinical presentation can be nonspecific, delaying diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate clinical features and diagnostic patterns of pediatric nasal malignancies.
- To compare institutional data with national cancer registry data.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort analysis of patients aged 0-18 years with nasal cavity malignancies (1991-2006).
- Comparison of institutional cohort with Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.
- Analysis of incidence, presentation, and diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Sixteen pediatric patients diagnosed institutionally; 47 identified in SEER database.
- Common symptoms included unilateral nasal congestion and ophthalmologic complaints.
- Rhabdomyosarcoma and esthesioneuroblastoma were the most frequent diagnoses in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric nasal cancers often present with nonspecific symptoms, necessitating a high index of suspicion for prompt diagnosis.
- Soft tissue sarcomas are common, and esthesioneuroblastoma occurs with notable frequency.
Objective:
The purpose of this work was to investigate the clinical manifestations and diagnostic range of malignant entities presenting as a nasal mass in the pediatric population.
Patients And Methods:
A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted at a specialty hospital and a tertiary care university hospital. Patients aged between birth and 18 years and diagnosed with a malignancy that arose within the nasal cavity between the years 1991 and 2006 were included. This institution-specific patient group was compared with a similar cohort of patients extracted from the national Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. The main outcome measures were the incidence, presentation, and diagnoses of nasal cancer presenting in this population.
Results:
Sixteen patients with nasal malignancies presented institutionally in the defined pediatric age group. Patient age at the time of diagnosis ranged from 7 months to 17 years, with a slight male predominance. The main presenting symptoms were unilateral nasal congestion and ophthalmologic complaints. The median time from presentation to diagnosis was 7 weeks; patients who presented with nonspecific complaints, such as nasal obstruction, headache, and fatigue, were given a diagnosis, on average, later than those who presented with focal manifestations. Nationwide, 47 patients were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. In both subject groups, the most common diagnoses were rhabdomyosarcoma (37.5% institutionally and 23% in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results group) and esthesioneuroblastoma (25% institutionally and 28% Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results). In the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results cohort, the overall mean survival rate was 188 months.
Conclusions:
Nasal cancer in the pediatric population often presents with nonspecific signs and symptoms, and a high index of suspicion is necessary for a timely diagnosis. Soft tissue sarcomas are expectedly common. The relative high frequency of esthesioneuroblastoma is particularly noteworthy.
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