Vol.99 No.7 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 99 No. 7 July 2006
Hemangioma of the Sphenoid Sinus: A Case Report
Tadashi Yoshida
(Ehime Medical University)
Koshiro Nakamura and Taisuke Kobayashi
(Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital)
Yuichi Tomidokoro
(National Cancer Center Hospital East)
Hemangioma is a benign tumor that originates from vascular tissue of the skin, mucosa, bone, muscles and glands. More than half of hemangioma are found in the head and neck regions. Hemangioma of the paranasal sinus is rare, particularly in the sphenoid sinus; only four cases have been previously published in the literature. We report a case of hemangioma of the sphenoid sinus in a 13-year-old boy. CT and MRI demonstrated that the tumor filling the sphenoid sinus extended into the nasal cavity. Following embolization of some feeding arteries, removal of the tumor by the endonasal approach was attempted using an endoscope, however, the procedure could not be completed due to excessive bleeding. The remaining tumor was completely resected by lateral rhinotomy, five months after the previous surgery. Imaging studies such as MRI and conventional angiography play a vital role in the diagnosis of hemangioma. Hemangiomas arising from the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity should be treated by preoperative intervention, such as ligation or embolization of the feeding artery in order to prevent severe intraoperative hemorrhage. Considering the location and size of the tumor, it is important to choose the most appropriate surgical method for the management of hemangioma of the paranasal sinus.
Key words :hemangioma, paranasal sinus, embolization