Sinonasal Oncocytic Papilloma—A Series of 20 Cases With Special Emphasis on Recurrences

OBJECTIVE: Reports on sinonasal oncocytic papilloma (SNOP) are scarce. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical features of this rarest form of sinonasal papilloma with special emphasis on the pattern of recurrences and on the potential factors predicting them. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Between the years 1994 and 2016, 20 patients (mean age 66 years; range 30–87) were diagnosed with SNOP at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, HUS Helsinki University Hospital (Helsinki, Finland). Hospital charts were reviewed to record various medical and sociodemographic patient characteristics, and the archived histological specimens were re‐evaluated. Postoperative follow‐up time varied between 26 days and 167 months. RESULTS: Maxillary sinus was the most common (60%) tumor location. None of the tissue samples showed dysplasia. Recurrence rate was 39% and the median time span to the first recurrence was 25 months (range 7–71). Smokers had more often a recurrence than nonsmokers (75% vs. 31%). Patients with perioperative purulent rhinosinusitis during the primary surgery had a higher recurrence rate compared with those without (60% vs. 31%). Tumors located in the sinuses recurred more often than those located in the nasal cavity (45% vs. 29%). However, all these findings remained statistically nonsignificant. None of the cases showed malignant transformation during the follow‐up. CONCLUSION: SNOP has a propensity to recur. History of smoking, purulent rhinosinusitis during the primary surgery, and tumor location in the sinuses outside the nasal cavity seem to contribute to an increased trend in the risk of recurrence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4