Introduction: Hamartomas are benign tumor-like lesions resulting from incorrectly differentiated germplasm and can manifest in different organ systems. In the nasal cavity and the sinuses these lesions are rare. Only few data on etiology, epidemiology and clinical significance of these tumors exist to date.
Materials and methods: In a retrospective study, material from patients treated in the Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the Ulm Military Hospital was screened on the incidence and clinical courses of respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartomas (REAH) of the nose and nasal cavity. Furthermore, for cases of REAH, formalin-fixated paraffin-embedded tissue samples were re-evaluated and examined for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by PCR.
Results: Tissue samples from 8145 surgical interventions on the nose and nasal sinuses from 2003 to 2012 were included. A total of 22 patients (3 female, 19 male; median age 57.5 years) diagnosed with REAH could be identified. Major complaints were nasal blockage (91 %), sinusitis (82 %), rhinorrhea (36 %) and cephalgia (23 %). Nasal endoscopy showed polyps in 68 % of patients. Native nasal sinus CT scans revealed no indications of REAH. Intraoperatively, hamartomas were found in 12 patients originating from the ethmoid bone, in 8 from the middle meatus or infundibulum and in 2 from the olfactory cleft. Macroscopic and histological examination showed compact lesions sized between 4 and 25 mm in the largest diameter containing homologous tissue, without signs of dysplasia or malignancy. HPV DNA was not identified in any case.
Conclusion: REAH of the nasal cavity and sinuses are rare benign local tissue lesions, usually without any autonomous proliferation. Clinical signs and findings correspond to those in polypoid pansinusitis. Only with single-sided or olfactory cleft location might CT scans provide indication of a tumorous lesion. For differentiation from true neoplasms, surgical resection and histopathological clarification is indicated. On the basis of current knowledge, complete surgical resection is adequate therapy.