title: Fine needle aspiration cytology in lesions of the nose, nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the spectrum of lesions in the sinonasal region diagnosed on FNAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective audit of sinonasal lesions diagnosed on FNAC over a period of 12 years (1998-2009).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of a total of 79,851 FNACs, 158 (0.2%) were from the sinonasal region. FNAC was non-diagnostic in 20 (12.6%) cases. Infective/inflammatory lesions comprised of 30 (19%) cases including non-specific inflammation (19), fungal infection (7), tuberculosis (2), actinomycosis (1) and filariasis (1). Benign cysts (24; 15.2%) included epidermal inclusion cysts, mucocele and aneurysmal bone cyst. Benign bone tumors (4) comprised of giant cell tumor, fibrous dysplasia, chondroma, and osteoblastoma. Other benign tumors included lipoma (6), hemangioma (5), schwannoma (2), meningioma (1), pleomorphic adenoma (1), sebaceous adenoma (1) and other skin adnexal tumors (3). Malignant epithelial tumors (24; 15.2%) included squamous cell carcinoma (10), basal cell carcinoma (5), poorly differentiated carcinoma (4) and metastatic carcinoma (5). Two cases of chordoma and one case each of dermatofibrosarcoma pertuberance and hemangiopericytoma were seen. Sarcomas included sarcoma, not otherwise specified (4), rhabdomyosarcoma (3), osteosarcoma (2), chondrosarcoma (2), leiomyosarcoma (1), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (1), fibrosarcoma (1) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (1). There were cases of malignant small round cell tumor (11), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (3), plasmacytoma (2) and malignant melanoma (2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A variety of non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions can involve the sinonasal region. FNAC is a reliable diagnostic procedure in a good number of cases, especially in the light of clinico-radiological data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. nalini203@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Nalini
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Jasleen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Ashim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Satyawati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohindra
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajwanshi
authors.forename: Raje
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nijhawan
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002817:Chordoma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed