Inverted papilloma of the nose and paranasal sinuses: a study of 56 cases and review of the literature.

Over a period of 32 years, 56 patients with inverted papilloma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were diagnosed and treated at Beilinson Medical Center, Israel. Four patients (7%) had an associated malignancy. Several surgical approaches were used: limited intranasal excision in 5 patients with an 80% failure rate, a Caldwell-Luc approach in 21 patients with a 48% recurrence rate, and lateral rhinotomy with medial maxillectomy in 18 patients with only a 22% failure rate; a selected group of 9 patients underwent an endoscopic procedure, with a 22% recurrence rate. Our results and a review of 19 published reports suggest that medial maxillectomy via lateral rhinotomy remains the treatment of choice for most cases of inverted papilloma. The role of endoscopic excision in selected patients is discussed.