Seromucinous hamartoma of the sinonasal tract: report of a rare case

Background: The sinonasal tract is anatomically complex and it houses a wide variety of inflammatory, benign, and malignant lesions. While inflammatory polyps are easily recognized by the pathologists, the nasal hamartoma still poorly understood. Seromucinous hamartoma have only been recognized over the past few years. They are a diagnostic challenge, needing to be distinguished from low-grade adenocarcinomas, and are of interest because most of the basic questions about their pathophysiology remain unanswered. Case presentation: We present a case of seromucinous hamartoma with features that partly expand the morphologic spectrum of these lesions, in a 50-year-old man. We also discuss the differential diagnosis and review the literature to compare our findings with previously reported cases with the aim of better understanding this interesting entity. Conclusion: Seromucinous hamartoma is a condition that may mimic several different sinonasal tumors, and further discussion and research are necessary to evaluate its full long-term impact.