Evolution of sinonasal radiological findings in a case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Abstract

Wegener's granulomatosis (Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis) is an autoimmune granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. The basic pathology is necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with necrotizing vasculitis involving medium-sized blood vessels. The typical triad of involvement of the upper and lower respiratory tracts and the kidneys is observed in varying proportions in individual patients. The sinonasal involvement is observed in the majority of patients and it can be involved in isolation in up to a quarter of affected individuals. The sinonasal changes involve both the soft tissue and bony architecture, with refractory chronic sinusitis associated with erosion of the cartilaginous and bony skeleton and may lead to saddle nose and other facial deformities in advanced cases. The radiology has a contributory role as diagnostic and diseases monitoring aid. The various radiological findings associated with the disease (bone erosion with osteoneogenesis) have been mentioned in the literature. We present the progression of a radiological abnormality in a patient with a localized form of Wegener's Granulomatosis and highlight some peculiar appearances observed on radiology in the patient.