Paraganglioma Presenting as a Nasal Septal Mass: Case Report and Literature Review.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a rare case of a paraganglioma arising from the nasal septum and review the diagnosis and management of paragangliomas in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

METHODS

We present a case of a 70-year-old female presenting with persistent nasal congestion and obstruction. Nasal endoscopy revealed a posterior septal mass approaching the sphenoid sinuses and partially obstructing the nasopharynx. A biopsy of the mass was taken, and histologic analysis confirmed a diagnosis of paraganglioma.

RESULTS

The patient underwent an endoscopic resection of the tumor. There has been no evidence of disease recurrence after 3 months of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Paragangliomas arising from the nasal septum are exceedingly rare, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with nasal septal masses. These tumors are typically benign, although few cases of malignant sinonasal paragangliomas have been reported. Treatment requires surgical excision with close follow-up as several cases of tumor recurrence have been reported.