Condition: Tumours of the Nose

A tumour is the name for any kind of swelling or growth and can be benign or malignant. The most common type to occur in the sinonasal cavity are benign – they grow slowly and do not invade adjacent structures. Conversely, malignant tumours invade the local tissues and can spread to other parts of the body. Only about 10 in 1 million people are affected by sinonasal tumours each year.

Examples of benign tumours:

• Nasal polyps
• Inverted papilloma – A one sided warty, slow-growing tumour that can be similar to a nasal polyp with a nasal blockage.
• Haemangioma – A collection of blood vessels that usually causes nosebleeds and nasal blockage.
• Osteoma – A bony, smooth non-tender swelling.
• Angiofibroma – A collection of fibrous tissue and blood vessels that appear on one side with nasal obstruction and occasional nose bleeds. This is typically found in teenage boys.

Examples of malignant tumours:

• Squamous cell cancer – these account for the majority of malignant tumours.
• Lymphoma – Tumours of the immune system.
• Melanoma – Derived from pigmented cells, similar to those that cause skin cancer.
• Adenocarcinoma – More common in those people who work with hardwoods.

The symptoms that you show will depend on the location of the disease within your nose and sinuses. The below outlines the symptoms related to tumours in various locations:

• Nasal cavity – One-sided nasal obstruction with or without a mucus nasal discharge, crusting or nosebleeds.
• Maxillary sinus (below the eye) – diseases can be confined within the sinus or extend forwards causing swelling of the cheek, upwards into the eye socket or sideways into the nasal cavity.
• Frontal sinus (above the eye on the forehead) – Localised swelling that may even push the eye down causing double vision. However, pain is not common.
• Ethmoidal sinuses (between the eyes) – Disease of these sinuses can push into the nasal cavity, blocking it, or extend into the eye socket displacing the eye and causing double vision.

Your doctor may arrange a scan to assist with the diagnosis and decisions over the correct course of treatment. If required, your scans will be carried out at our dedicated imaging and diagnostics centre.

Most nasal tumours are benign and can be removed using a surgical procedure, which involves a special telescope