Management of parapharyngeal space tumors

In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of the surgical approaches for the parapharyngeal space tumors. Eighteen patients with parapharyngeal space tumors diagnosed and treated at our clinic between 1992 and 2001 were included in this study. Surgical techniques used included transcervical, transparotid, transcervical-transmandibular, and infratemporal-A approaches depending on tumor size, location, vascularity, and malignant potential. Postoperative radiation therapy was applied in all malignant tumor. Postoperative morbidity, complications, and recurrence were evaluated. We found that 55.6 % of the PPS tumor were of salivary gland origin, 27.8 % were neurogenic, and 16.6% were miscellaneous. Of the four surgical techniques, transcervical approach were used most commonly. Postoperative morbidities were at acceptable levels. Our surgical survival rates were 100% for benign and 40% for malignant PPS tumors after a mean follow-up of 54 months.