Patterns, Presentations and Prognosis of Nasal Polyps

Few studies have documented the characteristic features of nasal polyps in the developing countries. In this study, we described the patterns, presentations and prognosis of nasal polyps seen in clinical setting, with a view to improve our understanding of its clinical and epidemiological characteristics. The study was a 10-year retrospective analysis of histologically-confirmed nasal polyps seen between January 2006 and December 2015. Records of patients with intranasal masses were retrieved from our hospital’s records department, clinics, wards and theatre suites. Those with nasal polyps were recruited into the study. The results were descriptively analyzed using SPSS statistical soft ware package version 10. There were 84 patients with intranasal masses seen within the reviewed period. Of this, 52 (61.9%) were histologically-confirmed nasal polyps. There were 22 males and 30 females. Their age ranges from 16 to 69 years. The most frequent symptom is nasal obstruction occurring in 76.9% of the cases. None of the patients had epistaxis. Thirty-one (59.6%) were associated with various complications either singly or multiple (Table 1). All (100%) were treated with conventional forceps excision. Eleven (21.2%) of them had recurrence between 3 and 5 years after surgery. None of the polyps or their recurrence exhibited malignant transformation. Nasal polyp is the most common intranasal mass seen in clinical practice. Its rarity in children and propensity for recurrence are reaffirmed. Although, recurrence is a major prognostic challenge, nasal polyp does not exhibit malignant transformation.