Inverted papilloma is an epithelial neoplasm of the lateral nasal wall and adjacent sinuses characterized by a marked propensity for recurrence and a significant association with carcinoma. In this retrospective study we present 31 cases treated by our departments between 1982 and 1999. The aim was to compare our results to those of other authors especially regarding surgical management. The male to female ratio of these patients was 2:1 and most patients were in the 6th and 7th decades of life. Conservative surgery was used in most cases as the initial treatment. The overall recurrence rate was low and there were 3 cases associated with carcinoma. We conclude that the results of conservative surgery in selected cases are comparable to those using radical methods. A review of the literature is presented and particular attention is dedicated to the literature concerning analysis of p53 expression, HPV and Epstein-Barr infection and apoptosis in inverted papilloma.