[Twenty years of retrospective study of malignant paranasal sinus tumors]

Carcinomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses represent 3% of tumors of the head and neck. Their histology and location vary widely. We reviewed the case histories of patients with malignant tumors of the nasal sinuses seen by us between 1975 and 1996, a total of 37 suitable cases. The site of origin of the tumor was the maxillary sinus in 16 cases, ethmoid sinus in 15, nasal septum in 3, nasal roof in 2, and nasal floor in 1 case. Fifty percent of the tumors were squamous cell carcinomas, 11% undifferentiated carcinomas, 13% non-squamous carcinomas, 5% melanomas, 5% olfactory neuroblastomas, 3% chondrosarcomas and 8% non-Hodgkin lymphomas. When diagnosed, one patient had carcinoma in situ, 3 stage I, 5 stage II, 12 stage III and 16 stage i.v. The cumulative survival was 63% after 3 years and 47% after 5 years.