A Rare Case of Nasal Chondromesenchymal Hamartoma Presenting With Respiratory Distress in a Newborn: A Case Report

Introduction: Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH) is a rare cause of nasal mass in infants and children. It was first described in 1998, and since then, only 63 previous cases have been reported. Case Report: Here, we report a case of a 4-day-old neonate with a right-sided nasal mass presenting with respiratory distress since birth. MRI was suggestive of chondromesenchymal hamartoma, for which endoscopic excision was done with complete removal of the tumor. The patient was diagnosed and successfully managed in our setup. Discussion: NCMH is a rare cause of nasal obstruction in neonates, with a similar clinical presentation to other known nasal masses. Physical examination, imaging, histopathology, and molecular tests are combined to diagnose such cases. The curative management currently recommended is surgery. Conclusion: It is always prudent to consider all possible differentials in neonates presenting with a nasal mass. Our report focuses on the role of proper examination, imaging techniques, and histologic evaluation for proper diagnosis and follow-up in a resource-limited setup.