Sinonasal tumors: The Arkansas experience

The last two decades have witnessed significant technical advances in the management of sinonasal tumors, including diagnostic endoscopy, high-resolution imaging, aggressive craniofacial resections, and sophisticated reconstructive techniques. Whether these advances have resulted in equivalent improvement in cure rates is controversial. To address this issue, a retrospective review of 86 patients with sinonasal tumors treated during the last decade at the University of Arkansas was performed. The most common site of origin was the maxillary antrum (40%), the lateral nasal wall (30%), and the ethmoid sinus (15%). The majority of patients (85%) had advanced stage disease, either T3 (20%) or T4 (65%). Total maxillectomy was performed in 40% of the patients, and craniofacial resection in 30% patients. The orbit was preserved and/or reconstructed in the majority (81%) of patients. Complete resection with clear surgical margins was achieved in 85% of patients and was associated with significantly better outcome. Disease-specific survival for all patients was 65%.