A systematic review of 1143 parapharyngeal space tumors reported over 20 years

Parapharyngeal space tumours are rare and most clinicians will only see a small number during their career. We performed a systematic review of 1143 parapharyngeal space tumors published in the past 20 years to increase cumulative experience. A systematic literature review was performed and data on histological diagnosis, presentation, surgical approach and postoperative complications of cases published between 1989 and 2009 were compiled and reviewed. The systematic review identified a total of 1143 parapharyngeal space tumors presented in 17 studies. A majority (82%) were benign and 18% were malignant. The most common presentation was a cervical mass (50%) or an intraoral mass (47%). Approximately 70 different histologic subtypes of parapharyngeal space tumors were reported in the cumulative series. The most common primary lesion was a pleomorphic adenoma (34%). Ninety-five percent of patients underwent surgery. The most frequent approach and used to excise the lesions was the cervical approach (48%) and the commonest complication was the vagus nerve injury seen in 14% of the cases.