A 34-year-old man came in for consult the other day because of a progressive swelling on the right side of his nasomaxillary area (the pink area on the picture above). He apparently noticed that this side of his nose started to swell about 2 weeks ago. No pain and no other associated symptoms. Rhinoscopy was unremarkable. He had a previous history of nasal bone trauma one year ago but apparently, no consult was sought. Waters' view x-ray showed a circumscribed radioluscent lesion in the right nasal bone.
My impression was Hemorrhagic Bone cyst of the Nasal Bone, Right.
We sometimes suffer bumps to the nose that we neglect to have it checked by a doctor. We often dismiss it as nothing serious especially if we don’t see any deformity or if there was no nosebleed. Most of the time, if there were internal injuries, it will just heal by itself. On rare occasions though, an unusual bone lesion arises, especially those injuries involving the nasal bone.
My impression was Hemorrhagic Bone cyst of the Nasal Bone, Right.
We sometimes suffer bumps to the nose that we neglect to have it checked by a doctor. We often dismiss it as nothing serious especially if we don’t see any deformity or if there was no nosebleed. Most of the time, if there were internal injuries, it will just heal by itself. On rare occasions though, an unusual bone lesion arises, especially those injuries involving the nasal bone.
Hemorrhagic bone cyst or a traumatic bone cyst is not a true cyst but a defect in the bone produced by trauma and repair. It appears as a definite radiolucent area with a sharply marked radiopaque border. It contains air and is lined by a thin endosteum. If left untreated, these cysts can become large and thins out the nasal bone. If this happens, much of the nasal bone should be removed surgically, leaving a defect that can be corrected only by implants.
Sometimes, it really pays to be diligent in seeking consultation from our doctors for whatever injuries or sickness that we encounter or feel. In this case, an ENT doctor knows the nose far better than our siblings or neighbors or elders. It is not promoting my profession; it is more of stating a fact!
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