Histopathology of Sinonasal and Nasopharyngeal Neoplastic Lesions in a Tertiary Care Center of Western Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Sinonasal and nasopharyngeal regions harbor diverse clinical conditions including many non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions presenting with nasal obstruction, facial pain and swelling, rhinorrhea, epistaxis, and other oral, ear, and orbital symptoms. Histopathology of excised lesions is the mainstay for the definitive diagnosis and management of neoplastic lesions. The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of neoplastic lesions among sinonasal and nasopharyngeal masses. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among sinonasal and nasopharyngeal masses in the department of pathology of a tertiary care center of western Nepal with primary data of 20 years from January 2001 to May 2020. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. Convenience sampling method was used. Data management and statistical analysis were done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage. RESULTS: Out of 395 sinonasal and nasopharyngeal lesions, 134 (33.92%) (29.26-38.58 at 95% Confidence Interval) were neoplastic lesions. The malignant lesions were found to be 60 (44.77%). Inverted papilloma was the most common benign lesion comprising 28 (20.89%) of cases, and squamous cell carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma were the most common malignant lesions comprising 12 (8.95%) cases each. CONCLUSIONS: This study observed a variety of neoplastic lesions. The most common benign lesion was nasal polyp and squamous cell carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma were the most common malignant lesions.