Value of sonography in the assessment of space-occupying lesions of the anterior nasal fossa.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to define the gray-scale, color, and power Doppler sonographic appearances and spectral analysis patterns of anterior nasal masses.


METHODS
Eight patients with anteriorly located nasal masses were referred to our hospital for CT of the paranasal sinuses. Subsequently, they were examined with a high-frequency linear-array ultrasound transducer. We performed gray-scale sonography and color and power Doppler imaging.


RESULTS
Five masses were nasal hemangiomas. The three remaining masses were a submucosal glandular cyst, a nasolabial cyst, and tuberculum septi hypertrophy. Three of the hemangiomas were histopathologically confirmed. Sonography identified the anatomic origin of all 8 lesions. On color and power Doppler imaging, the 5 hemangiomas exhibited intense vascularity that decreased with compression. Spectral analysis demonstrated arterial and venous flow within the hemangiomas, with resistance indices of 0.60-0.66 and peak systolic velocities of 6.4-18.4 cm/second. The other 3 lesions were avascular or had vascularity only at the periphery.


CONCLUSIONS
Anterior nasal fossa tumors can frequently be diagnosed by clinical examination, but specific sonographic and Doppler patterns can help to establish the anatomic origin, the local extension, and the correct diagnosis in indeterminate cases, obviating other diagnostic imaging or surgical procedures.
Pruna
X
X
Department of Radiology, Granollers General Hospital, University of Barcelona, Avenida Francesc Ribas, 08400 Granollers, Barcelona, Spain.
Inaraja
L
L
Gallardo
E
E
Serra
J
J
Casamitjana
F
F
Serrano
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*