Most likely, not everyone has heard about polyps in the human nose. Although this diagnosis occurs in four percent of the world's population. Nasal polyps are benign formations that appear due to the proliferation of the mucous membrane of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
A person does not immediately notice the appearance of polyps: when a polyp first appears in the nasal cavity, it does not manifest itself in any way, so a person does not see any reason to contact an otolaryngologist. Problems with the nasal cavity appear when the tumor increases in size, and the sick person notices typical signs of polyp formation: constant congestion and mucous discharge from the nose. People with the disease think that they are faced with a common runny nose; but the classical use of treatment with vasoconstrictor nasal drops does not bring any effect. And living with signs of congestion is very uncomfortable. It is this unpleasant symptom that forces a person to consult an ENT doctor for treatment.
Unfortunately, most often this does not happen at the initial stage of the disease, when conservative treatment can still be carried out. In most cases, the patient sees an otolaryngologist when only surgical treatment is possible.
The occurrence of a neoplasm is associated not only with the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms: the appearance of polyps in the nasal cavity and sinuses is associated with the occurrence of certain health problems.
It is not surprising that when visiting an ENT doctor, a person has many questions related to the occurrence of polyps. What do nasal polyps look like? What are the causes of neoplasms and their typical signs? What is polyposis? What causes polyposis? The causes, symptoms and treatment of polyps in the human nose and sinuses is the topic of our new article.
Nasal hemangioma and other benign tumors of the nose
Benign nasal tumors are formed from various tissues present in the nose and paranasal sinuses. Hemangioma is a benign tumor that most often develops in the first days of a child’s life and actively grows in the first six months of his life. After the child is one year old, the tumor begins to involute; most of the hemangiomas disappear by the age of seven, the rest by the age of twelve. More often, hemangiomas form in girls. The cause of the disease is a disturbance in the development of blood vessels in the embryonic period. Nasal hemangioma can grow deep into the skin, tissues of the organ and to the sides, destroy tissues, provoke bleeding, and disrupt the functions of the organ.
Nasal fibroma is a benign formation that can spread to the orbit. Nasal fibroma is rare, characterized by active growth and quickly grows into the orbit and paranasal sinuses. The tumor causes nosebleeds and nasal congestion. Fibroma that has grown into the orbit and nasal sinuses causes various complications: constant lacrimation, decreased visual acuity, exophthalmos, and can cause deformation of the skull bones. Fibroids rarely develop in the paranasal sinuses, most often developing in the maxillary sinus.
Adenomas in the nose can be true adenomas, a papilloma-like tumor, or a malignant destructive adenoma. Adenomas do not produce secretions, despite the fact that the tumor contains glandular epithelium. Adenomas in the nose are rare and are characterized by nosebleeds, nasal congestion, and can lead to the development of exophthalmos, purulent dacryocystitis and other complications.
Benign neoplasms of the nose are osteoma, chondroma, angioma, papilloma, chordoma, lipoma, myxoma, bleeding polyp, ganglioneuroma, dermoid cyst and other neoplasms. Tumors are formed during intrauterine development of the fetus with a negative impact on the woman’s body during pregnancy. They can appear in chronic diseases of the nasopharynx; the appearance of tumors is influenced by poor environmental conditions, injuries, and infections.
Causes
There are actually many reasons why polyps appear in the nasal cavity. Such diseases in medicine are called polyetiological (from “poly” - “many” and “etiology” - “cause”). That is, it is a disease, the occurrence of which can be associated with many reasons. What exactly is the cause of the disease in a person in each specific case can only be determined by a thorough examination.
Possible reasons include:
- frequent rhinitis;
- frequent colds;
- reduced immunity;
- hereditary factor;
- entry of a foreign object into the nasal cavity;
- curved nasal septum, narrow nasal passages and other structural features of the nasal cavity that cause nasal breathing disorders;
- chronic diseases of the nasal cavity and sinuses (sinusitis, sinusitis);
- allergic rhinitis.
It is also believed that the occurrence of neoplasms can also be influenced by the following reasons (more precisely, not direct reasons, but provoking factors): asthma, unfavorable environmental conditions in the place of residence, genetic reasons, the presence of bad habits.
Due to the influence of one of these reasons, the mucous membrane of a person’s nose ceases to function adequately, grows, and outgrowths appear on it - polyps.
Cancer of the nose and paranasal sinuses: symptoms
A tumor in the nose develops in the maxillary sinus (maxillary sinus cancer), and cancer also affects the nasal cavity. Nasal cancer, the symptoms and signs of which become pronounced at a late stage, accounts for 1.5% of all cancers; men are more often affected. The reasons for the development of the disease are not fully known; most often, nasal cancer develops in workers of nickel production enterprises, woodworking and leather industries, in people who smoke and who often suffer from nasal infections. Symptoms and signs of nasal and sinus cancer vary. At the initial stage of development, the symptoms are similar to those of various diseases - rhinitis, sinusitis and other disorders.
Then the patient begins to experience headaches, discomfort, pain in the sinuses, and a change in sense of smell. The nose is constantly stuffy, mucous discharge from the nose bothers me. The pain can radiate to the upper jaw, temple, and a constant severe headache - such symptoms develop with cancer of the maxillary sinuses.
Cancer of the posterior external part of the maxillary sinus is manifested by difficulty while eating, difficulty opening the mouth - the cancer grows into the masticatory muscles. Cancer of the anterior lower part of the maxillary sinus often affects the hard palate and upper jaw, leading to tooth loss and the appearance of wounds on the gums. Cancer of the nose and paranasal sinuses can lead to displacement and loss of the eye, and facial deformation.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer; adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, poorly differentiated transitional cell carcinoma, olfactory esthesioneuroblastoma and melanoma are less common. Carcinoma of the nose is not as dangerous as cancer of the paranasal sinuses, which has a less favorable prognosis. If early stage cancer is detected on the nose, then the five-year survival rate of patients is more than 50%, for cancer of the paranasal sinuses it is no more than 25%. Sinosanal poorly differentiated carcinoma has an aggressive course - the tumor affects the paranasal sinuses and nose, and is characterized by the appearance of ulcers and a tendency to necrosis.
Cancer of the nose and paranasal sinuses has clinical manifestations depending on the location of the tumor. Often a tumor in the thickness of the alveolar process is mistaken for an inflammatory process. It manifests itself in growth after tooth extraction. It is very difficult to differentiate tumors from the upper internal sinus. A tumor of the upper outer part of the maxillary sinus can remain unrecognized for a long time and manifest clinical symptoms in the form of pain. A tumor that has grown into the orbital area is manifested by swelling of the lower eyelid. A tumor that affects the infratemporal fossa, pterygopalatine fossa leads to swelling of the eyelid, the development of chemosis with exophthalmos.
Crooked septum
One of the most common malfunctions of the nose is a deviated septum. It’s difficult to call it a formation, but at the same time it can stick out so much that it becomes like him. There are situations when a person thinks that something has grown in his nose, and this is just a curvature.
There are many options for exactly how a septum can be bent: from simple, accompanied by an asymptomatic course, to complex. It often happens that curvature is a consequence of a hereditary factor. According to the type of curvature, each case is different from the others. There are options with a curvature by an arc - like a rocker - in one or the other side of the nasal cavity, there is a violation only in the cartilaginous or bone part, and sometimes in both at the same time. Sometimes the septum is curved like the letter S of the English alphabet; there are situations when it actually represents a wave protruding in a certain area, and it can also have a spike that will resemble a needle.
Also, deviated septum can be acquired after any injury. For example, a child can easily get hit on the nose in kindergarten, and parents won’t even know about it; teenagers get injured in sports clubs and on the streets. In adults, the problem can arise from injuries at construction sites, in fights, etc.
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What are the consequences?
This problem leads to impaired ventilation of the brain, poor-quality breathing and lack of oxygen develop. Against this background, migraine-like pain is not uncommon, and sometimes even neurological diagnoses develop.
In addition, snoring appears against the background of a deviated septum. This condition is called rhonchopathy. It is fraught with the appearance of night apnea, against the background of which heart attacks, strokes and early death develop quickly and easily. Also, a deviated septum causes the growth of the inferior nasal concha: this occurs in 95% of cases. Overgrowth is especially dangerous for the inferior nasal concha: a person begins to breathe worse. At the first stage of enlargement, a person does not even notice the problem, at the second he already has to resort to vasoconstrictor drops, the third stage of the development of pathology leads the person to a doctor, who most likely sends him to a hospital. Due to the growth of the sinuses, the closure of the anastomosis begins - the hole connecting the nasal sinus (maximum) and the nasal cavity. When the anastomosis is partially or completely blocked, sinus ventilation is disrupted. And this becomes the cause of the development of sinusitis.
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Nasopharyngeal cancer
With a tumor of the nasopharynx, the symptoms of the disease can be widespread and less common. Early manifestations of nasopharyngeal cancer are nasal congestion, a burning sensation in the throat, swollen lymph nodes, and ear congestion. The symptoms are similar to those of a cold. The tumor begins to progress rapidly and is manifested by the following symptoms: nosebleeds, hearing loss, sore throat, nasal congestion, frequent headaches, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, squint on one side, a feeling of numbness in the face, difficulty opening the mouth, non-healing in the nasopharynx. wounds.
Nasopharyngeal cancer is dangerous because the disease is asymptomatic in the early stages of development. Very often, the symptoms of cancer resemble the symptoms of colds. When oncology of the nasopharynx is detected, the symptoms most often indicate a late stage of cancer - an unpleasant putrid odor appears from the mouth, the patient feels an unpleasant odor that comes from the nasal sinuses, headaches are tormented, the vocal cords swell, the voice changes, the patient has difficulty swallowing, opening the mouth.
Nosebleeds are a constant concern, the body temperature periodically rises, tachycardia worries, speech becomes incoherent, strabismus and paralysis of the facial nerves may develop. Stage 4 nasopharyngeal cancer is characterized by general weakness, severe symptoms, severe pain in the nasopharynx, neck, and headaches.
Herpes
Yes, herpes can also develop in the nose. At the same time, it is not so difficult to diagnose and does not have too terrible complications. A herpetic rash often appears in the vestibule of the nasal cavity, where there is still skin. Treatment of this infection today still remains a challenge. But there are also advantages: herpes appears against the background of an exacerbation and decrease in the body’s immune forces, but then it goes away on its own. You can treat it with an ointment based on acyclovir, and also take additional tablets based on the same substance to more quickly suppress the activity of the virus.
It is important to remember that you cannot pick anything in your nose yourself. After all, you yourself will not be able to determine what type of education you have. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations with a doctor, including for preventive purposes, and all questions should be addressed exclusively to a specialist.
Removal of a bulla at Dr. Korenchenko’s Clinic
See also Treatment of ENT diseases Removal of a nasal turbinate bulla
In Dr. Korenchenko’s clinic, preference is given to a modern, minimally invasive method of bulla removal. In this case, the manipulation to remove a bulla in the nose is carried out on an outpatient basis, under local anesthesia and under the control of an endoscope. The doctor has the ability to accurately control the depth and size of the incisions made using a surgical laser.
A properly performed operation does not lead to the formation of synechiae and allows you to restore nasal breathing as much as possible, and the use of high-tech equipment can significantly shorten the recovery period and improve the patient’s quality of life.
Experienced, certified and highly qualified specialists possess all the necessary skills and carry out manipulations in the most gentle way possible. Specialists at Dr. Korenchenko’s Clinic accept appointments by appointment, which can be done using the feedback form or by calling the phone numbers listed on the website.
How is a nasal bulla removed?
In the classic version of the bulla resection operation, mechanical destruction of the walls of the vesicle and excision of the altered nasal concha using surgical instruments are performed. This uses a transnasal approach and requires general anesthesia.
After making an arcuate or contour incision along the edge of the modified concha and peeling off the mucous membrane along with the periosteum, the bulla is resection. The wound is covered with a flap of the mucous membrane, carefully removing excess tissue. Be sure to carry out a tight tamponade. This is necessary not only to prevent postoperative bleeding, but also to improve the survival of the mucous membrane. Relatively small nasal bullae are removed completely, while very large formations are partially resected. During the operation, they try to avoid damage to the mucous membrane of the upper part of the nasal cavity, which is necessary to preserve olfactory function.
This classic submucosal resection of the bullous turbinate is quite traumatic and the recovery period after it can take several weeks.
Diagnostics
Due to similar symptoms, papilloma of the nasal vestibule must be distinguished from basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) and squamous cell carcinoma in the initial stage.
Friends! Timely and correct treatment will ensure you a speedy recovery!
Also, papillomas of the nasal cavity, if the disease constantly recurs, must be distinguished from the initial forms of cancer of the nasal cavity.
General definition
A nasal bulla is spoken of when a person has a pneumatized middle or (less commonly) superior turbinate.
In this case, a bubble is formed at its anterior end, which belongs to the system of air cells of the ethmoid bone. The walls of such a nasal bulla have a bone frame lined with mucous membrane. A secretion produced by glandular cells often accumulates inside the vesicle, which can fester. Other pathological changes in the mucous membrane of the bullous nucleus cannot be excluded. A nasal bulla may be a congenital anatomical feature; in this case, there may be other anomalies in the structure of the facial skeleton. Sometimes the formation and growth of a bubble on the nasal concha is caused by chronic ethmoiditis - a long-term inflammation of the mucous membrane of the ethmoid bone. This process leads to an increase in the volume of its cells and can be complicated by bullous transformation of the upper or middle concha.
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