Nasopharyngeal masses mimicking "allergic" nasal symptoms

Patients with chronic nasal congestion can have causes other than allergic and vasomotor rhinitis for their symptoms. Commonly, patients with nasal stuffiness have mechanical factors such as nasal polyps and nasal septal deformities that cause obstruction. Rare causes of nasal symptoms include sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, and both benign and malignant tumors. Another uncommon cause of nasal symptoms is obstruction of the nose due to masses in the nasopharynx. In this article, we describe two adult patients with nasopharyngeal masses who had nasal symptoms initially thought to be allergic in origin. Examination of the nasopharynx is an important part of the investigation of patients who have chronic nasal symptoms or atypical manifestations of nasal symptoms.