Angiomatous Nasal Polyp

Overview

An angiomatous nasal polyp (ANP) is a relatively rarely diagnosed disease which isnot often mentioned in the professional literature. Due to its histological picture it can be mistakenfor an angiofibroma (juvenile or extranasopharyngeal).The authors evaluate a group of 13 patients operated on account of a sinochoanal polyp from theaspect of histological changes suggesting an ANP and present the case-record of a 12-year-old boywith this disease diagnosed and treated at the ENT Clinic of the Vinohrady Faculty Hospital andThird Medical Faculty Charles University. The patient suffered for several months from left-sidedobstruction with relapsing epistaxis which even called for a blood transfusion. Clinically the tumourgave the impression of a typical antrochoanal polyp and was completely removed froman endonasalapproach without major haemorrhage.With regard to the clinical properties, easy surgical removaland marked secondary changes of the histological picture the original diagnosis of the pathologist- extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma - was reevaluated and changed to ANP. ANP develops mostprobably due to repeated traumatization most frequently of sinochoanal polyps (in particularantrochoanal) but may develop also in other types of nasal polyposis. The resulting neovascularizationand fibrosis can lead to mistaking of ANP for an angiofibroma. In the differential diagnosis ofthese two diseases it is important to take into consideration the clinical properties of the tumour,the results of imaging examinations (CT, MR, angiography) and the result of the histologicalexamination. This is the reason why in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease collaboration ofan otorhinolaryngologist, pathologist and specialist in imaging methods in important.

Key words:
antrochoanal polyp, angiofibroma, nasal polyposis.