Incidence and clinicopathological correlation of Sinonasal malignancies in Sudanese patients

Abstract Background Sinonasal malignancies are uncommon neoplasms with several histopathological subtypes. These malignancies have a poor prognosis, and because of the nonspecific nature of the symptoms, most patients are diagnosed late when the disease is already at an advanced stage. Objectives This study aims to determine the incidence and clinicopathological correlations of sinonasal malignancies among Sudanese patients. Methods This is a descriptive prospective hospital-based study. All Ear, nose, and throat hospitals in Khartoum state, Sudan, were included. Data were collected using a structured interviewer questionnaire and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) from 01/09/2020 to 30/09/2021. Results In Khartoum state, the study encompassed all patients diagnosed with sinonasal malignancies who willingly participated. Out of the consenting participants, 44 were enrolled, with males constituting 61.4% of the cohort and females representing 38.6%. Noteworthy is the observation that 38.6% of the patients fell within the age range of 50–60 years old. The estimated incidence of sinonasal malignancies is 0.6 per 1000 individuals. Unilateral nasal obstruction emerged as the most frequent presentation (72.7%), followed by epistaxis in 56.8%. In terms of risk factors, 18.2% were identified as smokers, and 6.8% were woodworkers; however, a notable proportion (63.6%) did not exhibit any of the known risk factors. Conclusion Sinonasal malignant tumors have non-specific symptoms in the nose and paranasal sinus, including nose obstruction and epistaxis. Furthermore, the greatest frequency of sinonasal malignant tumors occurs in elder males.