Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: management and therapy

To conduct a review of contemporary approaches on the diagnostic-preoperative, operative, and postoperative methods in the management of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA).

Retrospective study of 14 cases of JNA resection at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Innsbruck (Innsbruck, Austria) between 1987 and 1998.

Data was obtained for each patient regarding age, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms, biopsy findings, tumor location, administration of preoperative angiography and embolization, and surgical approach. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 13 years.

Based on the histological evaluation by the preoperative biopsy and the tumor location, several surgical approaches were applied. A transnasal endoscopic procedure was employed in seven cases. The preoperative embolization and the intranasal approach with the potassium titanyl phosphate laser minimized blood loss. The recurrence rate was at a low of 15%.

The surgical approach should be determined by tumor location, tumor size, and effectiveness of tumor embolization. For patients with JNA with tumor extension involving the nasopharynx, the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses, and the pterygopalatine fossa, the transnasal endoscopic technique offers a minimally invasive resection of the entire tumor mass with minimal morphological disturbance.