Mucosal origin of sinonasal tract adenomatous neoplasms.

One hundred seven sinonasal tract adenomatous neoplasms on file at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology were reviewed in order to determine what percentage of and what type of nonsquamous epithelial neoplasms arise from surface mucosa. Seventy-seven percent of tumors were localized to the nose or maxillary sinus. Fifty-nine of the 107 tumors (55%) including 32 (50%) of the 64 adenocarcinomas and 19 (59%) of the 31 adenoid cystic carcinomas arose from the surface mucosa. Five of the six mucoepidermoid carcinomas also appeared to arise from the surface in a diffuse fashion, as did both mixed tumors, one of the oncocytic adenomas and the papillary cystadenoma. One can conclude that the majority of sinonasal tract adenomatous neoplasms arise from the mucosal lining of the sinonasal tract.