Unilateral nasal polyposis: clinical presentation and pathology

The aim of this study is to determine the clinical presentation and pathology of unilateral nasal polyposis (UNP).

Retrospective chart review.

A retrospective analysis was completed on 301 consecutive patients with nasal polyposis that underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery from 1995 to 2004. Of the charts reviewed, 46 patients were identified with UNP. In this group, there were 28 males and 18 females with a mean age at presentation of 34.85 years. Pathologic diagnosis was not available for 2 patients, so there were 44 UNP patient records for analysis. Presenting symptoms, surgical findings, and pathology were analyzed.

All 44 patients underwent surgical management for their symptoms, and specimens were sent for pathologic evaluation. There were 17 cases of chronic rhinosinusitis, 15 of allergic fungal sinusitis, 7 of inverting papilloma, 2 of squamous cell carcinoma, 1 of esthesioneuroblastoma, 1 of mucocele, and 1 of human papilloma virus polyp-type papilloma. The only presenting symptom that correlated with the presence of inverted papilloma or neoplastic process in our patients with UNP was epistaxis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic fungal sinusitis, inverting papilloma, and other neoplasms account for most UNP cases and must be considered when a patient presents with symptoms of unilateral polyps. A careful history and endoscopic examination play a key role in identifying possible disease processes and proper management.