Role of skull base surgery for local control of sarcoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Sarcomas of the nose and paranasal sinuses are rare neoplasms and comprise less than 1% of the malignancies arising in the sinonasal tract. From 1977 to 1989, we had the opportunity to treat 15 patients presenting with these tumors at The Eye & Ear Institute of the University of Pittsburgh. The clinical charts of these patients were reviewed retrospectively for demographic data, characteristics of disease, treatment considerations and clinical outcome. Data were also analyzed with special attention to the role of skull base surgery for the local control of tumors. Seven patients underwent cranial base surgery as part of their original therapy. Two of these patients are alive with no evidence of disease, one patient died of other causes, and four are dead of disease. Two patients died with local disease. Although not statistically significant due to the small number of patients, these data suggest that cranial base surgery can improve the local control of sarcomas of the sinonasal tract that approach or invade the skull base.