Expect the unexpected – sinonasal papillary intestinal adenocarcinoma – A case report

Abstract

Intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (ITAC) is the second most frequent sinonasal adenocarcinoma. High incidence of these tumors was seen among workers with occupational wood dust exposure, particularly of hardwood dusts. Furthermore, ITACs associated with dust exposure were diagnosed mostly in men (85–95%) and predominantly in the ethmoid sinus. This contrasts with sporadic ITACs that are more frequent in women and often arise in the maxillary antrum. ITAC had striking histomorphologic and immunophenotypic similarities with colorectal adenocarcinomas, but on the level of molecular pathologic mechanisms, these tumors have their own specific features different from gastrointestinal tumors. A 58-year-old female came with the chief complaints of difficulty in breathing and left-sided nasal obstruction for the past 1 month. On local examination, nasal septum was deviated to the right side on visualizing the left nasal cavity showed a polypoidal growth occupying the entire nasal cavity. Paranasal sinuses with contrast computed tomography (CT) showed a chronic granulomatous lesion in the left nasal cavity with surrounding inflammatory changes involving the ipsilateral sinuses. This patient was planned for functional endoscopic sinus surgery and specimen was sent for histopathological diagnosis. Contradictory to CT scan result, on gross and histopathology, the lesion was diagnosed to be intestinal type of sinonasal adenocarcinoma.