title: The inferior turbinate, an unusual site for a choanal polyp: Two case reports and a review of the literature.
abstract: Choanal polyps are unilateral sinonasal lesions that are classified according to their site of origin. The aim of this report is to highlight an unusual form of choanal polyp and to present a thorough literature review. To the best of our knowledge, only 6 cases of a choanal polyp originating in the inferior turbinate have been previously reported in the literature. We describe 2 new cases. One patient was a 14-year-old boy who presented with nasal obstruction, facial headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea; the other patient was a 70-year-old man who presented with right mucopurulent rhinorrhea and right nasal obstruction. In both cases, nasal fibroscopy detected a polyp arising from the right inferior turbinate and extending toward the right choana. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in both cases to ensure a complete excision. Cases of choanal polyp arising from the inferior, middle, and superior turbinates and the septum are rare, although some appear to be more common than is generally believed, especially in the pediatric population. We therefore recommend that unusual forms of choanal polyp be included in the differential diagnosis of a unilateral sinonasal mass.
authors.affiliation: Corresponding author: Maya Adhami, MD, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Mar Mikhael, Beirut, Lebanon. Email adhamimaya@gmail.com From the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon (Dr. Adhami); and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal, Créteil, France (Prof. Coste, Dr. Escabasse, and Dr. Chalumeau). The cases described in this article occurred at Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adhami
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coste
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Escabasse
authors.forename: Frederique
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chalumeau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009302:Nasopharyngeal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009305:Nasopharynx; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology; D014420:Turbinates