Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis of the sinonasal tract: report on the clinicopathologic features of a case and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is a rare fibroinflammatory lesion of the sinonasal tract that occurs mainly in young to middle-aged female patients. Only two previous cases affecting male patients have been reported, and its etiopathogenesis remains unknown. The authors report on the third case of the entity in a male patient and review the 12 previously reported cases. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old male patient was initially seen with a 15 years history of allergic rhinitis, progressive nasal obstruction, and left-sided hearing loss. All laboratory tests were unremarkable, except the nasal discharge eosinophil count that showed a conspicuous eosinophilia. The video-assisted-nasofibroscopic examination and CT scans disclosed a thickened deviated nasal septum with a subjacent infiltrative lesion. The histologic analysis of the nasal septum showed a variable mixed inflammatory cellular infiltration mainly composed of eosinophils, plasma cells, and histiocytes with a perivascular distribution; in other areas, an angiocentric fibrosing lesion with a peculiar perivascular onion-skin pattern was observed. The patient had a partial resection of the lesion with symptomatic control.
CONCLUSIONS: The presence of rhinitis and nasal eosinophilia in our case associated with the clinical aspects of the previously reported cases further support an allergic cause for EAF. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.