Synovial sarcoma of the ethmoidal sinus

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Synovial sarcoma is a high-grade, soft tissue, malignant disease associated with poor outcome. Typically, synovial sarcoma involves the extremities, with less than 10 per cent of cases occurring in the head and neck region. Synovial sarcoma of the paranasal sinuses is a rare entity. This paper presents a case of an elderly patient with synovial sarcoma of the ethmoidal sinus. CASE REPORT: An 80-year-old woman who had right epistaxis underwent nasal endoscopy and biopsy. The pathology indicated synovial sarcoma and the patient underwent endoscopic excision of the tumour. CONCLUSION: Synovial sarcoma of the ethmoidal sinus is very rare. Patients should undergo excision of the tumour with post-operative radiotherapy. However, the prognosis remains poor and usually the patient succumbs to death within a year.