Intestinal type adenocarcinoma of the ethmoid sinus in wood and leather workers: a retrospective study of 153 cases.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of our study was to identify the role of work exposure to organic dusts in patients with malignant paranasal sinus tumors.


METHODS
We analyzed all patients surgically treated for a malignant paranasal sinus tumor at our institution between 1987 and 2006. All patients were specifically asked about their occupational history. The tumor site was classified as maxillary or ethmoid sinus. Adenocarcinomas were divided into intestinal type (ITAC) and non-ITAC.


RESULTS
The sample included 345 patients with ethmoid sinus and 301 maxillary sinus. Regarding the ethmoid sinus, we found an exposure to organic dusts in 148 of 153 patients with ITAC, in 3 of 16 patients with non-ITAC adenocarcinoma, and in 10 of 176 patients with other tumors. Regarding the maxillary sinus, we found an exposure in 1 of 20 patients with non-ITAC adenocarcinoma and in 4 of 281 patients with other histologies.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that only ethmoid ITACs have an indisputable relationship with the exposure to organic dusts.
Cantu
Giulio
G
Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Unit, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. giulio.cantu@istitutotumori.mi.it
Solero
Carlo L
CL
Mariani
Luigi
L
Lo Vullo
Salvatore
S
Riccio
Stefano
S
Colombo
Sarah
S
Pompilio
Madia
M
Perrone
Federica
F
Formillo
Paolo
P
Quattrone
Pasquale
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004391:Dust; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014934:Wood
D004391:Dust