A case of extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma of the ethmoid sinus: A distinct clinical entity at an unusual site

Abstract

Angiofibromas of the head and neck usually arise from the nasopharynx in adolescent boys. The term extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma (ENA) has been applied to vascular fibrous nodules that arise outside the nasopharynx. Because the clinical characteristics of ENA are not consistent with those of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA), diagnosis of the former can be challenging. Biopsy is ill advised in a patient with an ENA because it might result in brisk bleeding. A high index of suspicion and a methodical evaluation are essential in establishing the proper diagnosis and treatment. We report the rare case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with a pinkish lobulated mass in her left nostril that had arisen from the anterior ethmoid sinus. The mass was removed via a lateral rhinotomy approach. Postoperative histopathologic analysis identified it as an angiofibroma. To best of our knowledge, only 9 cases of ENA arising from the ethmoid sinus have been previously reported in the English-language literature. © 2011, Vendome Group, LLC. All rights reserved.