Oncocytoma of the nasal cavity: report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

The authors present a case of oncocytoma of the nasal cavity in a 60-year-old woman. The tumour shows the same histological and ultrastructural characteristics of oncocytomas arising in minor salivary glands of other sites and major salivary glands. The authors stress that the biological behaviour of oncocytomas of the nasal cavity seems related to their local growth rather than to the cytological characteristics of the tumour. The extreme rarity of this tumour in the nasal cavity is particularly emphasized. The few cases reported previously in literature are briefly reviewed.