Overview and Facts about Esthesioneuroblastoma
Esthesioneuroblastoma, also known as olfactory neuroblastoma, is a rare form of cancer that develops in the upper nasal cavity in the area where the smell nerves pass through the bone to the brain.
Esthesioneuroblastoma can occur at any age and may extend from the nasal cavity to the eyes, sinuses, or brain.
Signs and Symptoms of Esthesioneuroblastoma
People who suffer from esthesioneuroblastoma typically lose their sense of smell and suffer from frequent nose bleeds. As the tumor grows, other symptoms may include:
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Eye pain and loss of vision
- Ear pain and headaches
Causes and Risk Factors of Esthesioneuroblastoma
The exact cause of esthesioneuroblastoma is not known. Cancerous tumors begin with a genetic mutation that triggers the overgrowth of healthy cells, which do not respond to signals to stop. Cancer cells continue to multiply and grow out of control into a tumor which eventually invades other structures.
Esthesioneuroblastoma can cause complications such as:
- Loss of smell and taste: since this cancer arises from the smell nerves, patients often lose their sense of smell permanently. Since much of what we taste comes from our ability to smell, the sense of taste can be significantly diminished.
- Vision loss: when advanced, esthesioneuroblastoma can cause cancer tumors that are large enough to invade nearby areas, such as the brain and eyes.
- Metastatic cancer: esthesioneuroblastoma may spread to other parts of the body, such as the bone marrow, skin, liver, lungs and lymph nodes.
Tests and Diagnosis of Esthesioneuroblastoma
Typically, an esthesioneuroblastoma diagnosis will involve the doctor, an otolaryngology (ENT) specialist, taking your medical history and performing a physical examination of your head, neck, eyes and nose. The doctor will examine your nose using an endoscope, which is a small tube with a camera.
Any time a tumor is identified, a biopsy is necessary to determine the nature of the tumor. This biopsy may be done in the office or the operating room.
Your doctor may also order imaging studies to assess the extent of the tumor and see if it has spread.
Treatment and Care of Esthesioneuroblastoma
Treatment of esthesioneuroblastoma usually involves surgery to remove the tumor. The surgical technique used will depend on the location and size of the tumor.
Many of these are able to be removed by means of endoscopic surgery via the nasal passages, even if it extends partially into the brain or the eye.
If there is a large portion of the tumor going up into the brain, an open surgery where a a small piece of the skull is removed to access the brain may be necessary to remove the entire tumor.
Radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may also be necessary in the treatment of esthesioneuroblastoma depending on its size, spread and ability to be removed with surgery.
