F7.01 a new classification of malignant ethmoid tumours

The manuals for staging of cancer of UICC and AJCC classify maxillary malignant tumours, but not the ethmoid ones because there is no generally accepted staging system for this site. But it is very important to speak the same language when we present the results of the treatment of these tumours. We reviewed our 84 ethmoid malignant tumours operated by a craniofacial approach from 1987 to 1994 (with a follow-up of 24 months at least), and we found the prognostic factors affecting the survival. We applied the following classification: T1 Tumour involving the ethmoid and nasal cavity sparing the most superior ethmoidal cells. T2 Tumour with extension to or erosion of the cribriform plate, with or without erosion of the lamina papiracea. without extension into the orbit. T3 Tumour extending into the anterior cranial fossa extradurally. and/or into the anterior two thirds of the orbit, with or without erosion of the antero-inferior walls of the sphenoid sinus, with or without involvement of the maxillary and frontal sinuses. T4 Tumour with intradural extension and/or involving the orbital apex and or the sphenoid sinus and/or the pterygoid plate and/or the infratemporal fossa. We staged our patients according to this classification, and we achieved the following cure rates: T1 No patients were in this stage (only craniofacial resections). T2 75%. T3 45.4%, T4 9% We believe this classification is valuable and focuses on the critical extensions of ethmoidal malignant tumours.