[Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: stage and surgical approach]

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) are benign tumors that occasionally invade the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, or middle cranial fossa. Several surgical approaches have been used based on the location of the tumor, including transpalatal, transmaxillary, and lateral rhinotomy, midfacial degloving, and Le Fort type I osteotomy. We reviewed 4 cases of JNA that had been treated by resection in the Department of Otolaryngology of Kagoshima City Hospital and 31 cases of JNA reported in the Japanese literature between 1990 and 2003. We analyzed the outcome of the surgical treatment of JNA in these cases to identify the surgical approaches that were most effective in removing tumors at several different stages. Radkowski staging showed that 17 (48.6%), 2 (5.7%), 4 (11.4%), 9 (25.7%) and 3 (8.6%) patients had stage IA, IB, IIA, IIC, and IIIA tumors, respectively. A transpalatal approach was employed in 11 cases (31.4%), a transmaxillary approach in 9 cases (25.7%), a transnasal approach in 6 cases (17.1%), and other approaches, (25.7%). The recurrence rate was, 5% in the stage I cases, 38% in the stage II cases, and 33% in the stage III cases. The transpalatal approach was followed by a high recurrence rate in the cases of stage II and higher stage. Several factors are critical when choosing the surgical approach to JNA: adequate exposure of the tumor, ability to control bleeding, prevention of postoperative facial deformity, and avoidance of interference with growth of the face.