Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
Lateral Molar Approach-Driven Transoral Endoscopic Procedure for Benign Infratemporal Fossa Tumor Resection
Published on: August 15, 2025
Minimally invasive surgery for parapharyngeal space tumors
Daniel M Beswick1, Alec Vaezi, Emiro Caicedo-Granados
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Objectives/Hypothesis:
Parapharyngeal space (PS) tumors are surrounded by critical anatomical structures. Resection is often challenging due to limited surgical exposure. Herein, we report a novel transcervical, minimally invasive, video-assisted technique that facilitates the resection of PS lesions.
Study Design:
Case series and review of literature.
Methods:
Description of surgical technique with analysis of four cases and literature review.
Results:
The technique combines a transcervical approach to the PS and skull base with video-assisted and image-guided dissection of tumor. Four cases of benign PS tumors resected with this technique are reported. The size of the tumor excised varied between 0.9 cm and 5 cm. Estimated blood losses were minimal. The average length of hospital stay was 1.5 days. No permanent complications were encountered.
Conclusions:
Excision of PS tumor abutting the skull base using a novel minimally invasive, video-assisted, image-guided, transcervical approach is feasible and safe. The short hospitalization stay and low morbidity makes it well suited for the resection of benign PS lesions.
