If you're experiencing nasal congestion, pus, or a foul-smelling runny nose that only affects one side of your nose, you should suspect a sinus tumor, not a simple cold, rhinitis, or sinusitis.

The sinuses are four pairs of spaces located around the nose that regulate airflow and help produce sound, which is why a tumor here is more likely to cause unilateral rather than bilateral symptoms.

“Sinus tumors are not common, but they can have serious sequelae or even life-threatening consequences if detected late,” said Professor Kim Sung-dong of the Department of Otolaryngology at Pusan National University Hospital, on the YouTube channel with the same name as the hospital. “Seeing an otolaryngologist is important for early diagnosis and treatment if you have prolonged or asymmetrical symptoms, even if they seem like everyday symptoms.”

Sinonasal tumors are relatively rare, accounting for 3-5 percent of all head and neck tumors. However, due to their location, they often go undiagnosed because of the late onset of symptoms or being mistaken for a common cold.

“In the early stages of a sinonasal tumor, there are no specific symptoms or symptoms similar to a cold,” Professor Kim explained. “Especially if the symptoms are only on one side, you should suspect a possible tumor rather than a simple rhinitis or sinusitis.”

So, what kind of unilateral symptoms should you look for in a sinus tumor?

“First, you should suspect a sinus tumor if you have one-sided nasal congestion or recurrent nosebleeds, pus coming out of your nose or a foul-smelling runny nose, facial pain or swelling around your eyes, vision problems, headaches, toothaches, or an inability to smell,” Kim said.

While the exact cause of sinus tumors is currently unknown, there are several identified risk factors for sinus tumors. “For example, smoking, exposure to certain occupational exposures, including wood dust, nickel, chromium, and leather products, viral infections, genetic factors, and immunocompromised conditions can increase the risk of developing sinus tumors,” Kim noted.

If you suspect you have a sinus tumor, visit your ENT doctor. “When you visit an ENT doctor, an endoscopy is performed to look inside the nose to see if there are any abnormalities, and if there are, a biopsy is performed,” Kim said, explaining that the biopsy is analyzed under a microscope to determine if it is malignant.

Additionally, imaging tests, including CT scans, are used to assess the size, location, and extent of bone invasion of the tumor. Alternatively, an MRI may be used to check whether the tumor has spread to soft tissues (such as the eyes and brain), which helps determine the direction of treatment. “Treatment depends on the type of tumor and how advanced it is, but most benign and early malignant tumors can be completely removed by surgery,” Professor Kim said.

In recent years, benign sinus tumors and early malignant sinus tumors can be removed entirely using endoscopic procedures, which has led to fewer cosmetic problems and faster recovery. However, depending on the degree of malignancy and progression of the disease, surgery may be more extensive and may require chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

"Recently, the range of endoscopic non-invasive surgeries has been greatly expanded, so recovery is quicker and scarring is less," Kim said. “Malignant tumors can be resected along with surrounding tissues. In some cases, part of the upper jaw bone may need to be removed, and in some malignant tumors, chemotherapy is combined with radiation therapy before and after surgery."