Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma: current trends in treatment

Abstract

Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm of the paranasal sinuses, which has recently been characterized as a distinct pathologic entity. The prognosis for patients with SNUC is poor. Early case reports describe patients with lesions that were clinically advanced at initial presentation and surgically unresectable. Survival was reported in months after treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. As more experience was gained with treatment of SNUC, it was found that aggressive, combined surgical therapy of lesions previously considered unresectable has shown increased survival. We report a case of a 38-year-old man with SNUC originating in the posterior ethmoid, extending into the anterior cranial fossa and orbit, who was treated with preoperative hyperfractionated radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and craniofacial resection.