A seven-year experience with patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare tumor in adolescent males. It originates in the nasopharynx.

To present the experience of JNA management at an Otorhinolaryngology Service between 2001 and 2008.

Demographical data, clinical presentation, investigations as well as the treatment of sixteen JNA patients were reviewed and collected from medical records from the ORL Service.

Cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study.

All JNA patients were male. The average age at diagnosis was 16.8 years (range 9-23 years). More than 56% of the patients were classified as Fisch II. Preoperative embolization was carried out in ten (62.5%) patients. All 16 patients were submitted to primary surgical resection. Two patients (66.7%) who didn't receive preoperative embolization required intraoperative blood transfusion. The overall recurrence rate was 43.75% and the cure rate was 93.75%.

Preoperative embolization minimizes intraoperative blood loss. The recurrence rate was related to advanced tumoral stage at diagnostic and the lack of preoperative embolization. Surgery combined with preoperative embolization is the major treatment for JNA. All the patients should undergo preoperative imaging studies, especially CT, to assist in surgical planning and follow-up.