A case of sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma treated with surgery and post-operative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma (SNTCS) is a rare and aggressive malignant neoplasm, which has poor prognosis. SNTCS is histologically characterized by the combination of one or more epithelial elements and mesenchymal components. We report a 59-year-old man with SNTCS involving right maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. He complained of numbness of the right cheek for 1 month. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed soft tissue filling the right maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, protruding into the nasal cavity. Tumor was removed with Denker rhinotomy, and post-operative intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT: 64Gy in 32 fractions) was performed. Follow-up examination for 2 years after the IMRT has shown no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. IMRT is a new type of conformal radiotherapy that is based on the use of non-uniform radiation beam intensities. IMRT can achieve optimal dose distributions and may improve the clinical outcomes dramatically with minimal complications. This report describes this patient's clinical course, etiology, diagnosis and management of SNTCS, and the advantage of IMRT in the treatment of SNTCS.