Most cases of epistaxis are due to simple causes and are easily treated on an out-patient basis. However, there are some cases where the origin of bleeding is not obvious or arises from an unusual pathological source. The authors describe a case of epistaxis due to a mass in the maxillary antrum that when biopsied showed the histological appearances of a haemophilic pseudotumour. The patient was anticoagulated on warfarin for a cardiac valve replacement and this was thought to be the cause of the ongoing haemorrhage necessary for development of the pseudotumour. Even in haemophiliacs, pseudotumours are rare and we believe this case is unique in that the patient is a non-haemophiliac. The epistaxis was eventually controlled by external beam radiotherapy to the pseudotumour. The management of this case is outlined as well as a review of the literature on haemophilic pseudotumour.

Haemophilic pseudotumour or haemophilic cyst is a rare complication of haemophilia, occurring in one to two per cent of individuals with a severe factor VIII or IX deficiency. We report a case of a haemophilic pseudotumour in a hitherto unreported site, the bony nasal pyramid, and believe this case is also unique on account of it having occurred in a patient with mild haemophilia. The diagnosis and treatment of this rare condition is also reviewed.