Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma-our experience at a referral hospital

Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a rare, highly vascular locally invasive tumor with a strong tendency to bleed. It usually occurs in young adolescent males. This is a retrospective study of 53 patients with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. All the cases were treated surgically by different conventional approaches depending upon the extent of the mass. Transpalatal approach was used in 32 cases, lateral rhinotomy in 13 cases and a combination of transpalatine + lateral rhinotomy + caldwel-luc in 8 cases. There is no recurrence in 49 cases till date. However, recurrence was noted in four cases within six months. Three out of four patients with recurrence had to undergo repeat surgery for the removal of angiofibroma within six months while the remaining one was referred to radiotherapy as the mass was invading the cavernous sinus. The various clinical presentation and treatment modalities are discussed.