Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma associated with nasal polyposis

Hamartoma is a rare, non-neoplastic tumor characterized by an abnormal mixture of tissues, which are indigenous to the region. They are rare in the nasal cavity. We report a 79-year-old woman with an adenomatoid hamartoma in the left nasal cavity associated with nasal polyposis. This association supports the hypothesis that inflammation is one of the factors that induce the development of a hamartoma. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery was performed to completely remove it, and this lesion was found to have arisen from the lateral nasal wall. It is an unusual localization because the most common site in the nasal cavity is the nasal septum, particularly the posterior aspect. Limited but complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Although adenomatoid hamartoma arising from the sinonasal tract is very rare, head and neck surgeons should be aware of this pathological entity as a differential diagnosis for inverted papilloma and adenocarcinoma. Misinterpretation of these lesions as a true neoplasm may result in unnecessarily aggressive surgery for this benign lesion. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.