Freiburg Neuropathology Case Conference: A Patient with Chronic Nasal Obstruction

Excerpt

A 57-year-old man presented with nasal obstruction present for a period of 2 years. Nasal obstruction seemed more pronounced in the evening. He reported to have a sore throat, mainly in the morning. There was no evidence of nasal bleeding or headache. He reported to already have visited an ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist, who had made a prescription of a nasal ointment that did not have any effect on his symptoms. Otorhinolaryngologic examination revealed a deviation of the nasal septum to the right. Endoscopic examination of the nose showed a brownish tumor of the nasopharynx with an approximate size of 3 cm. However, while listening to the patient, it became obvious that he had a nasal speech. Olfactometric testing demonstrated bilateral dysosmia; rhinomanometry showed a pronounced bilateral nasal obstruction. Pure tone audiometry revealed normal hearing results, while tympanometric testing demonstrated negative pressure on both sides. …