Surgical approaches for nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: comparative analysis and current trends

This study presents a comparative analysis of current surgical approaches for the treatment of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, including extension of tumors, postoperative morbidity, complications, and recurrence rate. Twenty-four patients who underwent surgery with the diagnosis of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma at our department between 1993 and 2003 were retrospectively reviewed according to their clinical presentation, surgical approaches, and prognosis. Radkowski staging scale was used for staging tumors. The transpalatal approach was used in 10 patients before 1999 with tumor stages between Ia and IIa. Transpalatal fistula was encountered in one. Nine patients underwent transnasal endoscopic surgery after 1999 with tumor stages between Ia and IIIa. Lateral rhinotomy in four patients and a degloving approach in one patient were used with tumor stages between IIa and IIIa; postoperative nasal crusting was the most annoying problem in these groups. Recurrent tumor was seen in only one patient who had undergone the transpalatal approach in the 12- to 56-month follow-up period. In this regard, the transnasal endoscopic approach can be used successfully in place of the transpalatal approach due to the former's lesser surgical morbidity and wide lateral exposure of the field in patients with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. Also, many patients who underwent lateral rhinotomy for the removal of stage IIa, IIb, and IIIa tumors can successfully be treated using the transnasal endoscopic approach. In tumors that extend, infratemporal fossa lateral rhinotomy and degloving approaches provide the optimal exposure but have higher potential for morbidity than does transnasal endoscopic surgery.