Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Sinonasal Tract with Metastasis to the Liver: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare subtype of squamous cell carcinoma. To date, only 95 cases of sinonasal BSCC have been reported in the English-language literature, and they account for 5% of all cases of head and neck BSCC. We describe what we believe is only the second reported case of a sinonasal tract BSCC that metastasized to the liver. The patient was a 36-year-old woman who presented with right-sided nasal obstruction and a foul-smelling discharge. Clinical examination and imaging identified a large lobulated enhancing mass in the right nasal cavity. Following excision of the mass, the patient was scheduled for radiotherapy. However, before it could be administered, follow-up imaging detected a metastasis to the liver and lung, and the patient was switched to chemotherapy. Initially, she responded well clinically, but at 5 months postoperatively, a follow-up CT showed an increasing metastatic presence in the liver and bone. The patient died of her disease 1 year after surgery.

Successful Treatment of Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasal Cavity With Brain Invasion

“…BSCC occurs most frequently in the head and neck region, with a predilection for the larynx, hypopharynx, tonsil, and base of the tongue [2]. In contrast, BSCC of the sinonasal tract is uncommon, accounting for only 5% of all cases of head and neck BSCC [3].…”

“…In 1986, Wain et al [1] first reported that the histopathological characteristics of BSCC are distinct and specific. Since the first report, only 65 cases of BSCC of the nasal cavity or paranasal cavity have been reported in the English literature identified through a PubMed search [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Various treatment modalities have been reported, including surgery supplemented with postoperative radiotherapy/adjuvant chemotherapy [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

“…Since the first report, only 65 cases of BSCC of the nasal cavity or paranasal cavity have been reported in the English literature identified through a PubMed search [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Various treatment modalities have been reported, including surgery supplemented with postoperative radiotherapy/adjuvant chemotherapy [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. There is no established consensus on the treatment of BSCC because of the limited number of cases, especially in patients with T4b with an invasion of the skull base.…”