Nasal sublesional Bevacizumab injections as adjuvant treatment for diffuse sinonasal exophytic papillomas

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Diffuse sinonasal exophytic papillomas (DSNEPs) are rare entities, with similarities to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRPs). DSNEP treatment is usually based on surgical excision, but the recurrence rate is high. Bevacizumab injections have been increasingly used as an adjuvant option for RRP, but their role in DSNEP treatment remains unknown. The current study describes the preliminary experience, safety profile, and exploratory outcomes of sublesional bevacizumab injections following surgical excision. Methods: We undertook a retrospective, single-centre study of a cohort of patients diagnosed with DSNEP between 2011 and 2018. All patients were treated with surgical excision and sublesional bevacizumab injections. The effect of bevacizumab was evaluated using a severity score developed to quantify lesion size and the extent of affected areas in each patient. Results: Seven patients diagnosed with DSNEP were treated. All patients were male, with a median age at diagnosis of 42 years [38–44.5]. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA was detected in all patients: HPV-11 in six cases (85.7%) and HPV-6 in one case (14.3%). Bevacizumab was injected into the submucosa of their surgical sites. The median follow-up was 55.5 months [40.85–82.73]. Most patients (85.72%) presented recurrence, with a median of 3 years [1.5–4]. A statistically significant reduction in the severity score was observed (p = 0.017), although this finding cannot be attributed solely to bevacizumab due to study design limitations. No relevant complications were reported. Conclusions: Nasal sublesional bevacizumab injections were well tolerated and feasible as an adjuvant approach to DSNEP. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm its safety and assess its potential benefit.