Esthesioneuroblastomas in an Asian Population: Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Objective: Esthesioneuroblastomas is an uncommon malignant tumor of the olfactory neuroepithelium in the white population. However, in our series with predominantly Asian patients, it is the most common anterior skull base malignancy requiring a craniofacial resection.

Method: Twenty-four patients who underwent craniofacial resections for malignant anterior skull base tumors and were diagnosed with esthesioneuroblastomas were recruited in this prospective study over a 10-year period. All patients were operated on by the same surgeon with the same technique.

Results: Twenty-four out of 48 patients with anterior skull base malignancies had esthesioneuroblastomas. The mean age of patients with esthesioneuroblastomas was 53 years old with no bimodal distribution. Most patients were Chinese (92%) with a male predominance (62%). Major complication rate was 13% and we had 1 unrelated perioperative mortality. Fifty percent of our patients had either local or regional recurrence. Three patients passed away in our series from tumor-unrelated reasons. Two-thirds of the patients in our series are alive more than 5 years after the initial diagnosis. The overall 5 year survival rate was 86%.

Conclusion: The predominant malignant anterior skull base tumor requiring a craniofacial resection was an esthesioneuroblastoma (50%). This is much more common than described in other series. There is a good curability with this tumor, with most patients surviving well beyond 5 years.