Vento Seija Inkeri, Vähämurto Pauli, Silventoinen Kaija, Karjalainen-Lindsberg Marja-Liisa, Mannisto Susanna, Leppä Sirpa, Mäkitie Antti Aarni
a Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery , University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki , Finland.
b Department of Oncology and Research Program Unit, Medical Faculty , University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital Cancer Center , Helsinki , Finland.
Acta Otolaryngol. 2017 Sep;137(9):975-980. doi: 10.1080/00016489.2017.1325514. Epub 2017 May 24.
Extramedullary plasmacytoma in the sinonasal tract or nasopharynx is rare. The aim of the study was to review data on symptoms, clinical findings, treatment and follow-up of plasmacytomas in the sinonasal and nasopharyngeal regions in order to delineate the main clinical characteristics and the optimal management.
Twenty-five patients with sinonasal or nasopharyngeal plasmacytoma, diagnosed and treated at the Helsinki University Hospital during a 39-year period from 1975 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.
There were 18 males and 7 females with a median age of 66 years (range, 36-80). Sixty-eight percent received only radiotherapy or (chemo)radiotherapy. Forty-seven percent of them had a complete response to primary radiotherapy and one patient had a complete response after receiving additional brachytherapy. Four patients were treated primarily with surgery only. Two of them had a local recurrence, but were then successfully treated with radiotherapy. Altogether, four patients received a combination of surgery and (chemo)radiotherapy. Forty-four percent were alive with no evidence of disease after a median follow-up time of 78 months. Forty percent died of their disease and 16% died of other causes.
Our study supports radiotherapy as a treatment of choice, but for small tumours surgery alone or in combination with radiotherapy may also be considered.
