Multifocal metachronous occurence of different hystologic sinonasal-type papilloma

Introduction: Sinonasal-type papilloma is a very rare tumor, most commonly connected with the sinonasal space, and very rarely with the middle ear. Primary tumors of the temporal bone are extremely rare and only 28 cases have been described in literature, with additional 29 cases of tumor spreading from the sinonasal tract to the temporal bone. Case presentation: We discuss the case of a 49-year-old woman who had a primary right-sided exophytic form of the sinonasal papilloma of the middle ear, which led to right-sided hearing loss, aural fullness, and otorrhea. During postoperative CT and MRI follow-up one year after surgery, a sinonasal oncocytic-type papilloma was discovered in the sphenoid sinus. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of histologically two different primary sinonasal-types of papilloma in a patient. Common presenting symptoms associated with sinonasal papilloma of the middle ear can be easily misdiagnosed with chronic otitis media or Eustachian tube dysfunction. Although primarily benign, sinonasal papillomas are locally aggressive and pose a risk of recurrence and malignant transformation. Therefore, surgery remains the treatment of choice with necessary long-term follow-up, to detect relapse or even a completely new tumor in that area.