Endonasal endoscopic resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare benign but locally aggressive tumour of the nasopharynx that primarily occurs in adolescent males. We report a series of 6 consecutive cases operated by exclusive endoscopic approach between from March 1996 and June 2003. All were male. The mean age was 17.2 years old (range: 11-23 years). The tumour involved the nasopharynx in all the cases (6/6), the sphenoid sinus (3/6) and the medial part of the pterygopalatine fossa (4/6). According to Radkowski's classification (Table 1), one patient was stage Ia, one was stage Ib and four patients were stage IIb. The mean duration of the surgery was 2 hours. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 575 ml despite a preoperative hyperselective embolization. The mean follow-up after the first operation was 67 months. All patients but one were free of disease. One patient had a recurrence in the nasopharynx and sphenoid sinuses requiring a successful revision procedure 3 years after the primary surgery. Another patient presented with a 5 mm non-symptomatic nodule in the pterygopalatine fossa, regressing on MRI during the 4 years following the surgery. In conclusion, endoscopic resection of JNA is a difficult but effective operation in experienced hands. Based upon the recent international literature, endonasal surgery combined with a preoperative embolization of the arterial supply is indicated for small and middle size JNAs but also for large tumours extended to the pterygopalatine fossa and medial aspect of the infratemporal fossa. Minimal intracranial extension is not an absolute contraindication if there is no clinical or radiological involvement of the cavernous sinus. A tridimentional guiding system can be of some help in large tumours.