Endoscopic surgery with curative intent for malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses

Aim To assess the efficacy of endoscopic surgical treatment in patients with nasal and paranasal sinus malignancies. Patients and methods During the period 1991–2006, 16 patients with nasal and paranasal sinus malignancies underwent endoscopic surgery with curative intent. The lesions included 11 carcinomas, two malignant melanomas, one olfactory neuroblastoma, one hondrosarcoma and one leiomyosarcoma. Tumors originated from the ethmoids in eight, and from the nasal cavity in another eight patients. Oncologic radicality of resection was verified by intraoperative frozen-section examination of biopsy specimens from the margins of the defect site. Results Radical resection was accomplished in 15 out of 16 operated patients. There were no major intra- or postoperative complications. Ten patients were postoperatively irradiated. Follow up of the treated patients ranged from 15 to 178 months (median 67 months). One patient with malignant melanoma died of generalized disease nine months after treatment, another with malignant melanoma recurred locally 30 months and again 49 months after first operation and is at the time of evaluation disease free and one died 21 months after operation without evidence of disease. Conclusions It seems that in selected cases, endoscopic surgery with curative intent for removal of malignant tumors of the nasal and paranasal cavities in the hands of highly experienced surgeon is justified.