Case of the Week
Section Editors: Matylda Machnowska1 and Anvita Pauranik2
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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August 11, 2008
Maxillary Sinus Squamous Cell Cancer with Involvement of 2nd Div. of left Trigeminal Nerve
- Squamous cell (SCC) is the most common cancer of sinonasal cavities; adenoid cystic is the most common to produce perineural spread.
- SCCs of maxillary sinuses are clinically silent and tend to be large at presentation.
- MRI allows distinction between cancer and adjacent secretions (CT does not): cancer is T2 dark and enhances; secretions are T2 bright and show no internal contrast enhancement.
- Inflammatory disease such as Wegener granulomatosis and sarcoid may simulate cancer.
- Nodes that can be involved at diagnosis: submandibular, jugulodigastric, retropharyngeal