Low-Grade Papillary Schneiderian Carcinoma: A Case Report

The nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are covered with ciliated respiratory mucosa of ectodermal origin, known as Schneiderian epithelium, which can give rise to different types of sinonasal carcinomas. A 42-year-old woman with a history of nasal polypectomy 3 years previously presented with nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea. She was found to have a papillary mass involving the left nasal cavity, and the left maxillary and ethmoidal sinuses by radiologic examination. She underwent endonasal resection under the diagnosis of oncocytic papilloma. The resected specimen showed exuberant invasive growth of papillary or inverted architectures of epithelial cells. The neoplastic cells were very bland, showing a round to polygonal shape, low nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, abundant oncocytic cytoplasm, uniform nuclei, indistinct nucleoli, and scarce mitosis. The overall features were identical to those of a recent report of a low-grade papillary Schneiderian carcinoma. The main differential diagnosis is Schneiderian papilloma, and awareness of this novel entity is important for its proper treatment.