Inverted Papillomas of the Nose and Paranasal Sinuses

Inverted papillomas of the nose and paranasal sinuses display pronounced tendency to recur, and their nondistinctive gross features require histological examinations to establish the diagnosis and to institute proper therapy. In the decade of 1956 through 1966, 29 cases of inverted papillomas were analyzed at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts General Hospital, 18 of which exhibited recurrennces. Of 22 papillomas treated conservatively (ie polypectomy or intranasal ethmoidectomy or both) 16 recurred, for a recurrence rate of 73%; one of seven patients treated with lateral rhinotomy had recurrence, and in an additional case the papilloma was nonresectable for a combined recurrence rate of 29%. Aggressive initial treatment in the form of lateral rhinotomy and removal of all accessible nasal mucosa is urged for this capricious pathological entity.