Intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinoma: a sporadic case

A sporadic case of the intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinoma is described. The patient was a comparatively young 33-year-old woman employed as a senior biochemical scientific technologist for several years. The light microscopical pattern was that of a papillary-tubular adenocarcinoma with areas of more solid mucinous elements in the deeper parts of the neoplasm. The neoplasm had invaded the nasal septum and reached the left orbit invading the left ethmoidal sinus. The glands were lined by columnar cells with elongated spindle-shaped nuclei and the cells expressed cytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Chromogranin A, gastrin and serotonin but not neurone-specific enolase (NSE) nor synaptophysin. Neurosecretory granules were present. There was no history of wood dust inhalation and her exposure to chemicals is of some interest but had probably little or no role in the causation of this neoplasm.