TITLE:
Esthesioneuroblastoma Masquerading as Chronic Rhinosinusitis
AUTHORS:
Sylvia G. McCulloch, Harold Y. Lau, Yves Starreveld, John T. Lysack, Desiree Hao
KEYWORDS:
Esthesioneuroblastoma, Sinonasal Neoplasms, Sinusitis, Epistaxis
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.4 No.9,
September
7,
2015
ABSTRACT: Background: Esthesioneuroblastoma, a rare tumour of the nasal vault, can present with symptoms that can be mistaken for common conditions such as chronic rhinosinusitis or recurrent epistaxis. Case presentation: A 52-year-old, previously healthy, Caucasian female presented to the emergency room with two months of nasal congestion and a spontaneous, protracted nosebleed that required a nasal clamp to settle. In the following months she had another episode of epistaxis in addition to fatigue, headaches, anosmia, difficulty breathing, worsening vision, weight loss and behavioral changes. Subsequent investigations led to the diagnosis of esthesioneuroblastoma. Conclusion: When patients present with recurrent epistaxis or chronic rhinosinusitis that does not respond to a reasonable course of medical therapy and/or have atypical associated symptoms, further investigations should be considered. The presences of red flags, such as weight loss, severe headaches, vision changes or bizarre behavior are also clues that alternate diagnoses and further additional workup should be considered.