Extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL) is a rare and aggressive tumour that can, clinically and histologically, mimic infectious and inflammatory conditions, presenting a diagnostic challenge. The authors report the case of a 69-year-old Portuguese woman previously misdiagnosed with chronic recurrent sinusitis. Despite maximal medical and surgical treatments, the disease was refractory and progressed. The patient had undergone multiple biopsies when the histopathological diagnosis of ENKL was made, 5 months after the initial complaints. Multiagent chemotherapy was offered, but during the first cycle, the patient developed severe infection and pancytopenia, which culminated in her death. This case highlights the need to consider a neoplastic cause when faced with aggressive sinonasal disease not responsive to maximal treatment and the difficulties in establishing the diagnosis of ENKL, with multiples biopsies of deep-tissue usually being required.
Pneumolabyrinth is the entrapment of air within the inner ear and is a rare complication of stapes surgery. We report the case of a patient submitted to stapedectomy who, 4 weeks later, suddenly developed right hearing loss, ipsilateral tinnitus and vertigo. On the physical examination, the patient showed no signs of vestibular deficits. Audiometry was compatible with right profound mixed hearing loss and high-resolution CT of the temporal bone revealed the presence of pneumolabyrinth. During exploratory tympanotomy, the prosthesis was found dislodged; the communication between the middle and inner ear was closed with vein graft and a new prosthesis was placed. Following surgery, vestibular symptoms was abolished and the patient experienced great improvement of the hearing thresholds.
Adenocarcinoma of the ethmoid sinus is characterized by its aggressiveness and its tendency to recurrence. Metastases are rare and can be found in unexpected organs due to dissemination via collateral venous plexuses. The role of chemotherapy has not been clearly established. Due to their rarity, the treatment of metastases has not yet been defined.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.