Growth characteristics and clinical manifestations of the paranasal sinus osteomas

To investigate the clinical features of paranasal sinus osteomas and to estimate the growth rate of these tumors in a large series of patients.

Case series with chart review.

University hospital, tertiary referral center.

The authors retrospectively reviewed the paranasal sinus tomography scans that were taken between January 1997 and April 2008 to find patients with paranasal sinus osteomas. A questionnaire was performed to evaluate the possible clinical symptoms associated with sinus osteomas, and control paranasal sinus computed tomography was taken for patients in whom paranasal computed tomography examination had been done at least 1 year ago.

A total of 17,154 paranasal sinus computed tomographies of 14,137 patients were reviewed, and 243 cases of paranasal sinus osteomas were found. The lesions were located in the frontal sinus in 183, ethmoid sinus in 48, maxillary sinus in 5, and sphenoid sinus in 7 patients. Eighty-nine patients with paranasal sinus osteomas were readmitted. The mean follow-up was 54 months in this group. In 46 of 89 patients, an increase in the size of osteomas was detected. The mean growth rate of osteomas was estimated to be 0.79 mm/y in the cephalocaudal direction and 0.99 mm/y in the mediolateral direction. No significant differences were found in the growth rate according to location and growth directions.

Neither a specific growth pattern nor a specific factor affecting the growth rate of these tumors could be demonstrated. Follow-up is necessary because of the potential severe complications.