Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the sinonasal cavities: correlation of CT evaluation with clinical outcome.

Purpose: To determine retrospectively the primary site of origin of sinonasal lymphomas with computed tomography (CT) and correlate the CT findings with histologic phenotype and clinical outcome.
Materials and Methods: In 24 patients with stage I and II non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the sinonasal cavities, the CT appearances and clinical data were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: The sites of primary tumor determined at CT were the nasal cavity in 13 patients, the ethmoidal sinus in three patients, and the maxillary sinus in eight patients. B-cell lymphomas were found mainly in the maxillary sinus, while T-cell lymphomas were found in the nasal cavity and ethmoidal sinus (P < .005). The 5-year survival rates in relation to the primary site of the tumor were 64% for the nasal cavity, 50% for the ethmoidal sinus, and 100% for the maxillary sinus (P = .26).
Conclusion: Patients with B-cell primary lymphoma of the maxillary sinus tended to have a good prognosis in contrast to those with T-cell lymphomas that originated from midline structures. The primary site determined at CT appears to be correlated with the histologic phenotype and clinical outcome.