[The pathology and clinical picture of adenocarcinoma of the nose after wood dust exposure]

Abstract

After longterm exposition (30.5 years) to beech and oak wood dust in woodworking, a formation of adenocarcinomas of the inner nose is possible in joiners, parquet layers and similar professions. They develop after a latency of 39 years on an average. These tumors appear generally in the area of the middle nasal concha and the ethmoid bone and invade continually into the orbit, the paranasal sinuses and the intracranial space. The incidence of regional and hematogenous metastases is low. Among the various forms of adenocarcinomas of the nose only those adenocarcinomas which are very similar to gastrointestinal carcinomas have been developed after an exposition to dust of wood. The most frequent tumors are adenocarcinomas of cylindrical cells with a papillary tubular structure. Alveolar goblet cell carcinomas with much mucous secretion and carcinomas of the signet ring cells are less frequent. There are evident correlations between the differentiation degree and the development of these tumors. In some of them polypeptide hormones have been demonstrated by histochemical and electron-optical methods. This report is based on 177 cases compiled by the professional association of woodworkers in the Federal Republic of Germany.