Summary

The authors report a rare case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis to the paranasal sinuses. The authors review RCC and its potential for sinonasal metastasis and discuss the variable presentation and need for clinical suspicion for early diagnosis and treatment. A 74-year-old man presented with numbness of the left side of the face, reduced visual acuity and ptosis 12 years after nephrectomy for RCC. Imaging studies showed a lesion in the left pterygopalatine fossa and the histological features supported the diagnosis of metastatic RCC. RCC metastasis to the paranasal sinuses is very rare and can present with various symptoms depending on the affected organ. These symptoms occasionally are the initial manifestation of renal RCC and it is very important to recognise them so that the patient receives the appropriate therapy to improve survival.