Sinonasal Hamartoma Pathology and Treatment
Summary
Sinonasal hamartomas are benign proliferations of disordered native tissue within the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The most common subtype is the respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH), characterised by glandular overgrowth lined by ciliated respiratory epithelium embedded in oedematous stroma. Rare variants include chondro‐osseous REAH (COREAH) and mesenchymal hamartomas containing cartilage, bone or smooth muscle, which may present with atypical radiological features or even spontaneous motility. Pathogenesis remains debated, with both inflammatory and developmental origins proposed. Clinically, patients present with nasal obstruction, anosmia or mass effect, often mimicking polyps or malignancy. High‐resolution imaging reveals characteristic widening of the olfactory cleft, aiding differentiation. Endoscopic sinus surgery is the mainstay of treatment, offering tissue diagnosis and complete resection while preserving function. Recurrence is uncommon but vigilance is required in bilateral or multifocal disease. Advances in molecular profiling and immunopathology are refining our understanding of underlying inflammatory pathways and guiding personalised management.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Sinonasal Hamartoma Pathology and Treatment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sinonasal hamartoma pathology and treatment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Hamartoma: A benign, focal overgrowth of disordered but mature native tissues.
Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma (REAH): A benign sinonasal lesion characterised by glandular proliferation lined with ciliated respiratory epithelium.
Chondro‐osseous REAH (COREAH): A rare variant containing mature cartilage and bone within a respiratory epithelial hamartoma.
Olfactory cleft: The superior nasal compartment housing the olfactory epithelium, often widened in REAH.
Type 2 inflammation: An immunological response driven by eosinophils and interleukins IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, commonly linked to allergic sinonasal disease.
Endoscopic sinus surgery: A minimally invasive technique using nasal endoscopes to visualise and resect sinonasal pathology.
References
- Case Report: Multiple mesenchymal hamartomas showing spontaneous motility in the nasopharynx. Frontiers in Oncology (2025).
- Link between bilaterality and type 2 inflammation in respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartomas: A two-center retrospective cohort study. PLOS ONE (2025).
- CT Findings of Sinonasal Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma: A Closer Look at the Olfactory Clefts. American Journal of Neuroradiology (2012).
- Chondro‐Osseous Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma (COREAH): Case Report and Literature Review. Case Reports in Otolaryngology (2019).
- Prevalence of respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartomas (REAH) associated with nasal polyposis: an epidemiological study – how to diagnose. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.