I would like some information regarding maxillary sinus cysts and tumors.
My 26 year old son felt a small bump under the skin on his left cheek next to his nose about a month ago.
The bump is not visible; it can only be felt when touching that area of the face. He also has some congestion, sneezing and last weekend he had a couple of mild headaches. His general doctor thought that it was a cyst and told my son that it may or may not go away.
My son, Joe decided to see an ENT yesterday. The ENT told Joe that he could feel the lump on the outside wall of the maxillary sinus and said that it is either a cyst or a tumor. The ENT gave Joe medication to clear up the congestion and mucus, and then he is to have a CT scan in 2 weeks.
We are all devastated at the possibility of this being a tumor.
I have been reading online about sinus cysts and tumors and the information just adds to all the fear of it being a tumor.,
Here is a little more background info on my son. He doesn’t smoke and only drinks occasionally when going out with friends. He has been working for Conductix for the last 4 years. It is a Precision Machine and tool and die company. He is sometimes exposed to dust from metal products.
Here are my questions:
1. Is it common to see sinus cancers in men in their 20’s?
2. I read that sinus cancers are mostly found in the maxillary sinus and that tumors found there are very aggressive with a poor prognosis. The lump my son can feel is in the maxillary sinus. Is there a high possibility that this could be a tumor?
3. The ENT stated that the lump is on the outside wall of the sinus. Does that mean it is not actually inside the sinus cavity?
My son has never had anything like this before. Growing up he had a few ear infections and as he got older he had occasional sinus infections from colds. He also grew up on a farm around corn and soybeans and animal dust from raising goats, and our entire family suffers with seasonal allergies.
We are all very concerned about what to expect. Any additional information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.