Introduction
Angioleiomyoma (ALM) of the sinonasal tract was originally described in 1966 by Maesaka
et al.[1] Until the 2005 WHO Classification of Head and Neck Rumors (third edition),[2] ALM and leiomyoma were considered the same entity, described as a benign tumor of
smooth-muscle phenotype. According to this classification, primary leiomyomas of the
sinonasal tract seemed to be very rare, with a predilection for the female sex (3.5:1),
a peak in the sixth decade of life, and a prevalent location on the turbinates. Other
than a positive history of radiant therapy, no risk factors have been reported. The
subsequent 2017 WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumors (fourth edition)[3] mentioned ALM as a possible subtype of leiomyoma with vascular differentiation.
In this classification, all leiomyomas showed an equal sex distribution and a prevalence
in the adult population; nevertheless, a clear distinction regarding epidemiology,
location, and histopathology between the two entities was not reported. The 2020 WHO
Classification of Soft Tissue Tumors (5th edition)[4]
[5] for the first time differentiated leiomyoma, of smooth-muscle phenotype, from ALM,
of pericytic phenotype.
In the present paper, we have performed a systematic literature review on sinonasal
tract ALM to identify previous case reports and to discuss histological features,
management, and prognostic aspects of this tumor. Furthermore, we have analyzed possible
modifications in the epidemiology, characteristics, and prevalent location of ALM
of the data reported in the 2017 WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumors[3] in comparison to the data reported in the 2020 WHO Classification of Soft Tissue
Tumors.[5]
Review of the Literature
The present study was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA)statement.[6]
Search Strategy
A comprehensive search in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases
was performed in January 2022, with the collaboration of a medical librarian and without
time restriction. The search items included the following keywords: nasal angioleiomyoma OR sinonasal angioleiomyoma OR nasal vascular leiomyoma OR sinonasal vascular leiomyoma. The search strategy was created using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) intended
for PubMed and then tailored to the other databases.
Two independent investigators reviewed the literature found, which was written in
English or Spanish. Duplicate articles were removed. Any disagreement regarding inclusion
was resolved with a discussion between the two reviewers, and consensus was obtained.
After the initial work was completed, the reference lists of the included articles
were reviewed to identify and include additional eligible articles. Furthermore, all
included studies were meticulously cross-referenced to ensure that patients were not
included in multiple articles.
The systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statement.[6]
Study Selection Criteria
The following were used as inclusion criteria for the present study: studies with
subjects of all ages, with a histopathological diagnosis of ALM according to the 2020
WHO Classification of Soft Tissues Tumors,5 written in English or Spanish, and with the full text available. Review articles
and commentaries were excluded. The articles were reviewed in full to assess the objectives
and level of evidence of the studies. The nature of the present review did not require
approval form the Institutional Review Board.
Data Extraction
The reviewed articles were read in full by two of the authors, and each extracted
data using a spreadsheet that included the author(s), the year of publication, the
country, the number of patients with ALM, patient characteristics, symptoms, location
and size of the tumor, histological subtype, markers, imaging exams, treatment, and
follow-up.
Study Selection
Through the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases, 1.308 records
were identified ([Fig. 1]). After the removal of duplicates, false titles, and studies with only the abstract
available, 64 records were screened, and 16 were excluded because the full text was
not available for 7 records, for another 7 records the language used was not in the
inclusion criteria, and 2 records were narrative reviews. We assessed for eligibility
48 full-text articles considering the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The qualitative
synthesis included 48 studies, and a case/case series study of sinonasal-tract ALM
was reported among them. These studies were published over a period of 48 years, between
1973 and 2021. It is of note that, despite the fact that ALM of the sinonasal tract
was originally described in 1966 by Maesaka et al.,1 their study was excluded from the present review because the full text was not available.
Fig. 1 Flowchart showing the systematic review of the literature.
Quality Appraisal
To appraise the quality of the included articles, we used the Joanna Briggs Institute
(JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist,[7] which consists of an eight-item scale for case reports and a ten-item scale for
case series. The former includes patient demographics, medical history, current clinical
condition, description of diagnostic tests, treatment, postintervention clinical condition,
adverse events, and the provision of takeaways. The latter evaluates the inclusion
criteria, the method of measuring the condition, the validity of the diagnostic methods,
whether the inclusion of the participants was consecutive, the completeness of the
participants' inclusion, the reporting of the demographics, clinical information,
and outcomes, and the appropriateness of the statistical analysis.
Study Characteristics
Six studies were conducted in the United States, five, in China, four, in India, the
United Kingdom, and South Korea, three, in Italy, Japan and Brazil, two, in Germany
and Spain, and one study was conducted in each of the following countries: Tunisia,
Israel, Switzerland, Taiwan, Greece, Canada, France, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Colombia,
Turkey, and Malaysia. A total of 5 studies were retrospective, and 43 were case reports.
The characteristics of the patients are summarized in [Table 1], [Table 2], and [Table 3].
Table 1
Clinical characteristics of the cases of sinonasal-tract angioleiomyoma reported in
the literature
|
Reference
|
Year
|
Age
|
Sex
|
Site
|
Side
|
Size (cm)
|
Symptoms
|
|
Schwartzan and Schwartzan[11]
|
1973
|
57
|
M
|
nm
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
Hanna et al.[12]
|
1988
|
64
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
3.0 × 1.2 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, facial pain,
|
|
Sawada[13]
|
1990
|
41
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule
|
R
|
nm
|
No symptoms
|
|
Ragbeer and Stone[14]
|
1990
|
49
|
F
|
Anterior nasal floor
|
R
|
1.5 × 1.1 × 1.0
|
Local pain, suppurative rhinorrhea, epistaxis
|
|
Khan et al.[15]
|
1994
|
71
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
4.0 × 3.0 × 1.5
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
Ardekian et al.[16]
|
1996
|
54
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
1.0 × 2.0
|
Nasal obstruction, local pain, epistaxis
|
|
Nicolai et al.[17]
|
1996
|
45
|
F
|
Ethmoidal sinus
|
L
|
7.0 × 3.0
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
Nall et al.[18]
|
1997
|
43
|
F
|
Superior turbinate
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstrution, epistaxis, facial pain
|
|
Murono et al.[19]
|
1998
|
69
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
R
|
2.0 × 1.5 × 1.0
|
Epistaxis
|
|
Marioni et al.[20]
|
2002
|
70
|
F
|
Nasal vestibule
|
R
|
1.5
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Osaki et al.[21]
|
2002
|
67
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
0.8
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Wang et al.[22]
|
2004
|
70
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
nm
|
1.1
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, pruritus
|
|
66
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
nm
|
0.3
|
No symptoms
|
|
62
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule
|
nm
|
1.5
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
Burkhardt and Bejarano[23]
|
2006
|
35
|
F
|
nm
|
R
|
8.0 × 4,5 × 5.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, nasal dorsum pain, headache, suppurative rhinorrhea,
anemia
|
|
Chen et al.[24]
|
2007
|
88
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
R
|
0.93 × 0.9 × 0.8
|
Right-side hearing impairment, suppurative rhinorrhea
|
|
Campelo et al.[25]
|
2008
|
44
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate head
|
L
|
2.2 × 0.9 × 0.7
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, pruritus
|
|
Tas et al.[26]
|
2008
|
69
|
M
|
Ethmoidal and haxillary sinus
|
R
|
3.5
|
Nasal obstruction, tinnitus
|
|
Vafiadis et al.[27]
|
2008
|
68
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule floor
|
R
|
2.0
|
Nasal obstruction, right nasolabial line slight bluntness, right upper lip mild swelling
|
|
He et al.[28]
|
2009
|
58
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
R
|
2.0 × 1.5 × 0.7
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Michael and Shah[29]
|
2009
|
34
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Navarro Júnior et al.[30]
|
2010
|
62
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
4.0 × 2.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, facial pain
|
|
Yoon et al.[31]
|
2013
|
69
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule
|
nm
|
1.8
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
64
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
nm
|
0.8
|
No symptoms
|
|
65
|
M
|
nm
|
nm
|
1.0
|
No symptoms
|
|
37
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
nm
|
1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, pruritus
|
|
61
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
nm
|
2.0
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
Arruda et al.[32]
|
2014
|
49
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
1.6 × 1.5 × 1.1
|
Nasal obstruction, local pain, nasal scabs, bulging
|
|
Yi CH et al[33]
|
2015
|
70
|
F
|
Nasal vestibule
|
L
|
1.2 × 0.8
|
Epistaxis
|
|
Burkart and Schoenenberger[34]
|
2015
|
45
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
0.9 × 1.1 × 0.8
|
Epistaxis, local pain, growing mass
|
|
Varghese et al.[35]
|
2015
|
40
|
M
|
Inferior meatus
|
R
|
3.0 × 3.0
|
Epistaxis
|
|
Bhandarkar et al.[36]
|
2015
|
69
|
F
|
Middle turbinate
|
L
|
4.3 × 2.3 × 3.4
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, headache, hyposmia
|
|
Kim et al.[37]
|
2015
|
70
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
1.6 × 1.2 × 1.4
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Agaimy et al.[38]
|
2015
|
73
|
M
|
Nasal cavity lateral wall
|
R
|
1.4
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
82
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
0.8
|
Epistaxis
|
|
53
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule
|
L
|
0.8
|
Growing mass
|
|
76
|
F
|
Nasal vestibule
|
R
|
0.6
|
Growing mass
|
|
63
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
0.7
|
Rhinorrea
|
|
25
|
F
|
Ethmoid sinus
|
nm
|
0.2
|
Facial fullness
|
|
77
|
F
|
Nm
|
nm
|
0.7
|
Growing mass
|
|
62
|
F
|
Nm
|
nm
|
1.5
|
Growing mass
|
|
48
|
F
|
Nm
|
nm
|
1.2
|
Growing mass
|
|
26
|
M
|
Inferior nasal floor
|
R
|
2.5
|
Local pain
|
|
55
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, sneezing, difficulty breathing, facial fullness
|
|
77
|
F
|
Inferior turbinate
|
R
|
0.9
|
Epistaxis
|
|
51
|
F
|
nm
|
L
|
1.7
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, ear pain, cough, growing mass
|
|
36
|
M
|
Nasal cavity lateral wall
|
R
|
1.7
|
Growing mass
|
|
65
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, difficulty breathing
|
|
66
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
R
|
1.2
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Hammedi et al.[39]
|
2015
|
42
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
1.5 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Villarreal Patiño et al.[40]
|
2015
|
49
|
M
|
Middle turbinate
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Lau et al.[41]
|
2016
|
43
|
F
|
Maxillary sinus
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, facial pain, rhinorrhea
|
|
Zhu et al.[42]
|
2016
|
53
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
nm
|
1.0 × 0.5 × 0.3
|
Epistaxis
|
|
74
|
F
|
Nasal cavity lateral wall
|
nm
|
2.0 × 1.0 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
65
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
nm
|
1.5 × 0.5 × 0.5
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
55
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
nm
|
1.0 × 0.8 × 0.5
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
62
|
M
|
Middle turbinate
|
nm
|
1.5 × 1.0 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
54
|
M
|
Nasal vestibule
|
nm
|
1.0 × 0.5 × 0.5
|
Nasal obstruction
|
|
Varadarajan and Justice[43]
|
2016
|
69
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
1.3 × 1.1
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Chen et al.[44]
|
2016
|
73
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea
|
|
15
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, local pain
|
|
23
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
38
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
45
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
52
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, local pain
|
|
57
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, local pain
|
|
63
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
55
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, local pain
|
|
25
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, headache
|
|
67
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea
|
|
69
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, larynx pain, rhinorrhea
|
|
Mathieu et al.[45]
|
2017
|
54
|
M
|
Nasal floor
|
R
|
1.0 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis, maxillary sinuses pain
|
|
Khanani et al.[46]
|
2017
|
33
|
F
|
Ethmoid sinus
|
R
|
3.0 × 3.0 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Drapier et al.[47]
|
2019
|
60
|
M
|
Middle turbinate
|
L
|
nm
|
Epistaxis
|
|
Lee et al.[48]
|
2019
|
45
|
M
|
Anterior nasal floor
|
R
|
1.9
|
Nasal obstruction, discomfort
|
|
Choi [49]
|
2019
|
30
|
M
|
Maxillary sinus
|
L
|
3.5 × 3.2
|
Headache
|
|
Apthorp et al.[50]
|
2020
|
64
|
F
|
Mucocutaneous nasal vestibule
|
R
|
1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, alar cartilage swelling
|
|
Arora et al.[51]
|
2020
|
59
|
M
|
Between middle and inferior turbinate
|
L
|
2.7 × 1.6 × 2.1
|
No symptoms
|
|
Heyman et al.[52]
|
2020
|
33
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate medial border
|
R
|
1.3
|
Facial pain
|
|
Ho et al.[53]
|
2020
|
45
|
M
|
Anterior nasal floor
|
L
|
2.0 × 1.0 × 1.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epistaxis
|
|
Nada et al.[54]
|
2020
|
69
|
M
|
Anterolateral nasal vestibule
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, jaw and tooth pain, facial fullness
|
|
Escamilla Carpintero et al.[55]
|
2021
|
42
|
nm
|
Hasner valve and inside the lacrimonasal duct
|
L
|
3.0
|
Nasal obstruction, epiphora, left eye inner corner bulging
|
|
D'Aguanno et al.[56]
|
2021
|
50
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate
|
L
|
1.3
|
Nasal obstruction, facial pain, Left maxillary swelling
|
|
63
|
M
|
Inferior turbinate head
|
L
|
nm
|
Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea
|
|
Noreikaite et al.[57]
|
2021
|
66
|
M
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
1.0 × 0.8 × 0.6
|
Nasal obstruction, difficulty breathing
|
|
52
|
F
|
Nasal septum
|
R
|
0.4 × 0.4 × 0.2
|
Epistaxis
|
|
Azhdam et al.[58]
|
2021
|
65
|
F
|
Nasolacrimal duct
|
R
|
nm
|
Right eyelid edema, epiphora, styes
|
Abbreviations: F, female; L, left; M, male; nm, not mentioned; R, right.
Table 2
Histological subtype and management of cases of sinonasal-tract angioleiomyoma reported
in the literature
|
Reference
|
Subtype
|
Treatment
|
Follow-up
|
Imaging
|
|
Schwartzan and Schwartzan[11]
|
nm
|
Excision with transantral ethmoid sphenoidectomy
|
nm
|
X-rays
|
|
Hanna et al.[12]
|
Solid
|
Excision of the anterior two-thirds of the inferior turbinate
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
X-rays
|
|
Sawada[13]
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
nm
|
|
Ragbeer and Stone[14]
|
Solid
|
Excision through an incision in the anterior maxillary mucobuccal fold
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
X-rays
|
|
Khan et al.[15]
|
Venous
|
Excision with turbinectomy scissors
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Ardekian et al.[16]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Nicolai et al.[17]
|
Solid
|
Excision with combined anterior cranial fossa and tranfacial approaches
|
No recurrence after 2.5 years
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Nall et al.[18]
|
Venous
|
Embolization and excision with a medial maxillectomy, external ethmoidectomy, and
cannulation of the lacrimal system
|
No recurrence after 1.8 year
|
CT
|
|
Murono et al.[19]
|
Venous
|
Excision with a margin of normal nasal mucous membrane
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Marioni et al.[20]
|
Venous
|
Excision under local anesthesia with endoscopic control
|
No recurrence after 0.3 year
|
nm
|
|
Osaki et al.[21]
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.3 year
|
nm
|
|
Wang et al.[22]
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Burkhardt and Bejarano[23]
|
Solid
|
Embolization and excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Chen et al.[24]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Campelo et al.[25]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Tas et al.[26]
|
Solid
|
Excision with medial maxillectomy and endoscopic ethmoidectomy
|
No recurrence after 1.3 year
|
CT
|
|
Vafiadis et al.[ 27]
|
Venous
|
Excision under local anesthesia through an incision in the gingivolabial sulcus
|
No recurrence after 2.0 years
|
X-rays
|
|
He et al.[28]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic high-power laser cauterization
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Michael and Shah[29]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Navarro Júnior et al.[30]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Yoon et al.[31]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
nm
|
nm
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Arruda et al.[32]
|
Venous
|
Excision through an incision in the lateral mucosa of the nasal cavity
|
No recurrence after 2.5 years
|
CT
|
|
Yi CH et al[33]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia
|
No recurrence after 0.4 years
|
CT
|
|
Burkart and Schoenenberger[34]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery with a radiofrequency instrument
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Varghese et al.[35]
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 0.5 year
|
CT
|
|
Bhandarkar et al.[36]
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
Recurrence after 3.0 years
|
CT
|
|
Kim et al.[37]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Agaimy et al.[38]
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 4.3 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 3.6 years
|
nm
|
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 2.8 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 2.7 years
|
nm
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 2.6 years
|
nm
|
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.3 year
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 17.6 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 6.7 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 13.4 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 9.0 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 4.4 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 3.8 years
|
nm
|
|
Cavernous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 2.2 years
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.7 year
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.5 year
|
nm
|
|
Solid
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 0.8 year
|
nm
|
|
Hammedi et al.[39]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Villarreal Patiño et al.[40]
|
Venous
|
Embolization and excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 3.0 years
|
CT
|
|
Lau et al.[41]
|
Cavernous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Zhu et al.[42]
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Varadarajan and Justice[43]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Chen et al.[44]
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Mathieu et al.[45]
|
Solid
|
Excision with a surrounding rim of normal nasal mucosa through a subgingival incision
|
No recurrence after 2.0 years
|
CT, 3D-CT
|
|
Khanani et al.[46]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Drapier et al.[47]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
No recurrence after 1.5 year
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Lee et al.[48]
|
Cavernous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 0.3 year
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Choi [49]
|
Venous
|
Excision with Caldwell-Luc surgery combined endoscopic sinus surgery
|
No recurrence after 2.0 years
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Apthorp et al.[50]
|
Nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery with the two-handed technique
|
No recurrence after 0.8 year
|
nm
|
|
Arora et al.[51]
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery with bipolar cautery
|
nm
|
CT
|
|
Heyman et al.[52]
|
Solid
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 0.5 year
|
CT
|
|
Ho et al.[53]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 11.0 years
|
CT
|
|
Nada et al.[54]
|
Venous
|
Excision
|
nm
|
CT, MRI
|
|
Escamilla Carpintero et al.[55]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery with a turbinectomy and exploration of the lacrimal
duct
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
D'Aguanno et al.[56]
|
Cavernous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No reucurrence after 0.4 year
|
CT
|
|
Noreikaite et al.[57]
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 7.0 years
|
CT
|
|
Venous
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery
|
No recurrence after 1.0 year
|
CT
|
|
Azhdam et al.[58]
|
nm
|
Excision with endoscopic surgery with medial maxillectomy and dacryocystorhinostomy
|
nm
|
CT, MRI
|
Abbreviations: 3D, three-dimmensional; CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance
imaging; nm, not mentioned.
Table 3
Histological markers of the cases of sinonasal-tract angioleiomyoma reported in the
literature
|
Reference
|
Actin
|
Desmin
|
SMA
|
MSA
|
SMMHC
|
Vimentin
|
Myoglobin
|
Calponin
|
S 100
|
Keratin
|
AACT
|
CD31
|
CD56
|
CD34
|
ER
|
PR
|
HNF-35
|
FVIII
|
HMB45
|
H-caldesmon
|
D2–40
|
|
Schwartzan and Schwartzan[11]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Hanna et al.[12]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Sawada[13]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Ragbeer and Stone[14]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
−
|
−
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Khan et al.[15]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Ardekian et al.[16]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Nicolai et al.[17]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Nall et al.[18]
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Murono et al.[19]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Marioni et al.[20]
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Osaki et al.[21]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Wang et al.[22]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Burkhardt and Bejarano[23]
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Chen et al.[24]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
−
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Campelo et al.[25]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Tas et al.[26]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Vafiadis et al.[27]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
He et al.[28]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
|
Michael and Shah[29]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Navarro Júnior et al.[30]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Yoon et al.[31]
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Arruda et al.[32]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Yi CH et al[33]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
|
Burkart and Schoenenberger[34]
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Varghese et al.[35]
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
|
Bhandarkar et al.[36]
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Kim et al.[37]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
|
Agaimy et al.[38]
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
−
|
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
●
|
−
|
−
|
●
|
●
|
−
|
+
|
●
|
|
●
|
+
|
+
|
●
|
●
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Hammedi et al.[39]
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Villarreal Patiño et al.[40]
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Lau et al.[41]
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Zhu et al.[42]
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Varadarajan and Justice[43]
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Chen et al.[44]
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Mathieu et al.[45]
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Khanani et al.[46]
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Drapier et al.[47]
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Lee et al.[48]
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Choi [49]
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Apthorp et al.[50]
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Arora et al.[51]
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Heyman et al.[52]
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Ho et al.[53]
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Nada et al.[54]
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Escamilla Carpintero et al.[55]
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D'Aguanno et al.[56]
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Noreikaite et al.[57]
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Azhdam et al.[58]
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Abbreviations: -, negative; +, positive; ●, not indagated; AACT, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin;
ER, estrogen receptor; MSA, muscle-specific actin; PR, progesterone receptor; SMA,
smooth-muscle actin; SMMHC, smooth-muscle myosin-heavy chain, D2-40, podoplanin.
A total of 87 patients were evaluated, and their ages ranged from 15 to 88 (mean age
at diagnosis: 55.6) years. The male-to-female ratio was of ∼ 1:1 (53.5%, 46 male patients),
and data regarding patient sex was not available in 1 case.
The most common site of involvement was the nasal septum (n = 28; 35%), but it also occurred in the inferior turbinate (n = 18; 22.5%), nasal vestibule (n = 11; 13.75%), nasal floor (n = 5; 6.25%), middle turbinate (n = 4; 5%), ethmoidal sinus (n = 3; 3.75%), lateral wall of the nasal cavity (n = 3; 3.75%), maxillary sinus (n = 2; 2.5%), nasolacrimal duct (n = 2; 2.5%), between the middle and inferior turbinates (n = 1), superior turbinate (n = 1), and combined ethmoidal and maxillary sinus (n = 1). Data regarding tumor site was not available in seven cases. The right-to-left
side ratio was of ∼ 1:1 (52.2%, 36 cases in the right side), and data regarding the
side of the body in which the tumor was located was not available in 18 cases. The
dimensional study of the tumor highlighted a mean larger diameter of 1.79 cm (range:
0.2 cm to 8 cm; no data for 21 cases), an average diameter of 1.52 cm (range: 0.5 cm
to 4.5 cm; no data for 55 cases), and a smaller diameter of 1.18 cm (range: 0.2 cm
5 cm; no data for 64 cases).
The most common symptom was nasal obstruction (n = 58; 66.67%), followed by epistaxis (n = 41; 47.12%), pain (n = 15; 17.24%; local pain in 9 cases, facial pain in 3 cases, and 1 case of nasal
dorsum pain, and 1 case each of jaw and tooth pain and of maxillary sinus pain), headache
(n = 9; 10.34%), growing mass (n = 8; 9.19%), rhinorrhea (n = 9; 9.19%; 3 cases with suppurative rhinorrhea), pruritus (n = 3; 3.45%), difficulty breathing (n = 3; 3.45%), facial fullness (n = 3; 3.45%), ear alterations (n = 3; 3.45%; 1 case each of hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pain), ocular alterations
(n = 2; 2.3%; epiphora, styes), and anemia, nasolabial slight, upper-lip swelling, nasal
scab, sneezing, hyposmia, larynx pain, alar cartilage swelling, and maxillary swelling
(n = 1). In 5 cases (5.75%, 1,15%) no symptoms were reported.
The most common surgical approach was excision (n = 85; 97.7%; in 3 cases, under local anesthesia), followed by excision with a previous
embolization (n = 2; 2.3%).
The radiological exams most frequently performed were computed tomography (CT; n = 48; 55.17%) followed by both CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI + CT; n = 9; 10.34%) and X-rays (n = 4; 4.6%). No radiological exams were performed in 26 (29.9%) cases.
The most common histological subtype was solid (n = 32; 44.4%), followed by venous (n = 30; 41.67%), and cavernous (n = 10; 13.89%). Data regarding histological subtype was not available in 15 (17.2%)
cases. Histopathologically, the tumor showed immunoreactivity to smooth-muscle actin
(SMA; 42/42 cases; 100%), muscle-specific actin (MSA; 7/7 cases; 100%), actin (21/21
cases; 100%), desmin (25/30 cases; 83%), h-caldesmon (13/13 cases; 100%), vimentin
(6/6 cases; 100%), FVIII (3/3 cases; 100%), CD56 (4/6 cases; 66.5%), CD31 (7/13 cases;
53%), CD34 (cluster of differentiation) (3/14 cases; 27.3%), myoglobin (1/2 cases;
50%), calponin (1/1 case; 100%), smooth-muscle myosin-heavy chain (SMMHC; 1/1 case;
100%), estrogen receptor (ER; 5/14 cases; 35.7%), progesterone receptor (PR; 7/14
cases; 50 %), S100 (1/11 cases; 9%), no immunoreactivity to HMB45 (a monoclonal antibody
that reacts against an antigen present in melanocytic tumors) (0/23 cases), keratin
(0/4 cases), D2–40 (podoplanin) (0/2 cases), alpha-l antichymotrypsin (AACT; 0/1 case),
and HHF-35 (a muscle actin-specific monoclonal antibody) (0/1 case). In-situ hybridization
for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was performed in 4 (4,6%) cases, no cases EBV infection
at the single-cell level were detected. The Ki-67 proliferation index was described in 25 cases (28.7%), showing a mean value of
2%.
Follow-up was reported in 49 cases (56.3 %). The mean follow-up period was of 2.7
(range: 0.2 to 17.6) years. Only 1 (0.9%) patient experienced local recurrence after
3 years.
Discussion
Mesenchymal tumors are often a diagnostic challenge for pathologists. Therefore, the
standardization and schematization of the classification of these tumors provided
by the 2020 WHO Classification of Soft Tissue Tumors5 were necessary.
In the 2005 WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumors,2ALM was considered synonymous with leiomyoma, there was a female predilection, and
the turbinates were affected more frequently. In the 2017 WHO Classification of Head
and Neck Tumors,3 an equal sex distribution for leiomyoma was described, and ALM was reported as a
subtype of leiomyoma. The 2020 WHO Classification of Soft Tissue Tumors5 considered ALM as a separate entity from leyomioma.
According to this classification, half of ALMs are painful, the overall male-to-female
ratio is of ∼ 0.7:1, the solid type is significantly more common in women, whereas
the venous and cavernous types show a male predominance, and the venous type is reported
to be more often involved in the head and neck region. Angioleiomyoma is included
in the group of pericytic tumors, which share a perivascular growth pattern, a variable
contractile phenotype, and represent ∼ 0.2% of all head and neck benign tumors. Angioleiomyoma
is a benign entity that manifests mainly in the subcutis or dermis of the extremities
(in 89% of the cases).
The incidence of sinonasal ALM is difficult to establish; to the best of our knowledge,
only 87 cases of this neoplasm have been described. In the head and neck region, ALM
is very rare (8.5% of the cases), in particular in the sinonasal tract, in which the
incidence seems to be of ∼ 2% of total tumors.[8]
[9] Malignancy has not been described. The male-to-female ratio is of ∼ 1:1 (46 male
cases and 40 female cases), and the mean age of the patients is of 55.6 (range: 15
to 88) years. According to the results of the present review, we should consider ALM
of the sinonasal tract as a rare tumor of elderly patients, with a peak in the sixth
decade of life and no gender preference.
Macroscopically, sinonasal ALM manifests as a reddish/pinkish/bluish/brown/gray globular
or polypoidal mass, ovoidal or round, soft, elastic, smooth or wrinkled, mainly hypervascular
and painless, with a mucous membrane and a slow pattern of growth. According to the
findings of the present study, sinonasal ALM is mainly located in the nasal septum,
followed by the inferior turbinate and the nasal vestibule; manifestations in other
areas of the sinonasal tract are less frequently reported.
The main differential diagnosis is with myopericytoma, glomus tumor, fibromyoma, leiomyosarcoma,
angiofibroma, hemangioma, and angiomyolipoma. Morimoto[10] classified the tumors as follows: solid – when the tumor comprises closely-compacted
smooth muscle and abundant blood vessels, which are small and slit-like, the smooth
muscle bundles surround the vessels and interdigitate with them; venous – when the
tumor lacks compacted smooth muscle bundles and the blood vessels have thick muscular
walls of varying size; and cavernous – when the tumor consists of numerous dilated
vascular channels and smaller quantities of smooth-muscle bundles, which are difficult
to distinguish from the muscular walls of the vessel channels. Considering the total
of cases, the solid subtype is the most frequent, while the venous subtype seems to
be more frequent in women, and the solid subtype, in men.
Angioleiomyomas classically show positive immunohistochemical markers like actin,
SMA, MSA, desmin, vimentin, h-caldesmon, calponin, and negative markers like HMB45,
keratin, and S100. It is of note that the only case of sinonasal ALM with S100 positivity
reported in the literature is also the only case with local recurrence.[36] About the hormonal aspect, the search for ER and PR shows a heterogeneous attitude
among the investigated cases. The same thing can be said for CD31, CD34 and CD56.
Surgical excision is the best treatment choice. To the best of our knowledge, only
1 (1.15%) case of sinonasal ALM experienced recurrence during the follow-up after
surgical excision. The longest follow-up was of 17.6 years. No malignant transformations
or metastases have been reported. According to the results of the present review,
prognosis is excellent after the removal of the tumoral mass.
Final Comments
Angioleiomyoma is a relatively new entry in the classification of soft-tissue tumors
classification, and due to its biological and embryological features, it should be
considered a distinct tumor entity from leiomyoma. Regarding the sinonasal tract,
to the best of our knowledge, only 87 cases of ALM have been described.
The male-to-female ratio of sinonasal ALMs is of ∼ 1:1, with a mild male prevalence.
The nasal septum is the most frequently affected site, and pain is present in a small
portion of cases. As reported in the previous classification,3 the tumor cells are diffusely and strongly immunoreactive to actin, desmin, h-caldesmon,
calponin, and vimentin, and the Ki-67 index is usually < 5%.
According to the results of the present study, S100 positivity seems to be associated
with tumor recurrence, and the most common histological subtype is solid, considering
the total of cases, while there is a prevalence of the venous subtype in women and
of the solid subtype in men.
Surgical excision is the best treatment choice without additional medical therapies.
The results of the present review confirm the benignity of this tumor and, despite
its low incidence, ALM must be considered in the differential diagnosis of any sinonasal
mass, especially in the nasal septum.