Context: A mass in the nose or paranasal sinuses can sometimes be considered as a minor
problem by patients. That nasal mass can be an inflammatory polyp, a granuloma, a congenital
lesion or benign or malignant tumor. Even if some of these lesions are rare, it is imperative that
clinicians should be aware of these uncommon lesions to allow early and appropriate
management of received cases.
Objective: The study aimed to identify various types of non neoplastic and neoplastic lesions
presenting as sinonasal mass and characterize their clinico-pathological profile in referral
hospitals in Rwanda.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in three referral
hospitals in Rwanda (KUTH, BUTH and RMH). Patients attending ENT outpatient department
found to have a mass in the sinonasal tract were included in the study. Data were collected using
a pre established questionnaire. A diagnosis was made after a detailed history, clinical
assessment and radiologic investigations if necessary, but final diagnosis was made after
histopathologic examination of the specimen. Data entry was done using Epidata version 3.1 and
analysis using Stata version 13. P value ≤ 0.05 was considered as evidence of a statistically
significant association.
Results: A total number of 79 patients with sinonasal masses who presented to the hospital from
June to September 2015 were studied. The patients were aged between 2 to 79 years with a mean
age of 36.5 (±20.15) years. Among them, 35 (44.3%) were males and 44 (55.7%) were females,
with a male to female ratio of 1:1.25. Nasal blockage was the most common symptom in 65
(82.28%) patients while nasal mass was the most common physical finding in 76 (96.2%)
patients. Of the 79 cases, 36 (45.57%) were non neoplastic, 34 (43.04%) were benign neoplasms
and 9 (11.39%) were malignant neoplasms.
Conclusion: Sinonasal masses range from non-neoplastic lesions to benign and malignant
neoplasms with different histopathologic types. Though clinical and radiological examinations
are important, it is essential to make a final diagnosis after a thorough histopathological
examination of all sinonasal masses.