Diagnosis

An esthesioneuroblastoma diagnosis may involve:

• Physical examination. A careful history of your signs and symptoms and an examination of your eyes, nose, and head and neck give doctors important information to understand the tumor's extent and aid in diagnosis.
• Using a tiny, flexible camera to see in your nose. During an endoscopic examination, a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) is inserted in your nose. The tube is attached to a camera that allows doctors to look at the extent of the tumor in the nose, back of the nose (nasopharynx) and in the sinus area of the nasal cavity.
• Imaging tests. Imaging tests such as MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) help to determine the location and extent of your esthesioneuroblastoma and help determine whether it has spread.
• Removing a sample of tissue for testing. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of the tumor tissue for pathological analysis. A biopsy may be performed by inserting special instruments through your nose to remove a small piece of the cancer. This procedure can often be done in a doctor's office.
• Testing a tissue sample in a lab. Accurate testing and analysis of the biopsy sample is necessary to distinguish esthesioneuroblastoma from other tumors that may appear to look similar. Diagnosing esthesioneuroblastoma is difficult since it is very rare and can have a similar appearance to other cancers that occur in the head, neck or nasal areas. Pathological analysis also determines the aggressiveness (grade) of the tumor.