Parapharyngeal Space Tumors: Our Experience

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Para-pharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare, comprising 0.5-1.5% of head and neck neoplasms.
• Effective management necessitates precise diagnosis and surgical strategies to minimize morbidity and aesthetic impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinical presentation, histology, surgical outcomes, complications, and follow-up for 98 patients with PPS tumors.
• To evaluate the preliminary experience with SQUID12 (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers) for preoperative embolization of hypervascular PPS tumors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 98 patients treated for PPS tumors between 2002 and 2021.
• Assessment of transoral surgery feasibility for lower/prestyloid PPS tumors.
• Evaluation of SQUID12 embolization efficacy and safety compared to traditional agents.

Main Results:

• Transoral surgery may be a viable option for specific PPS tumor locations.
• SQUID12 demonstrated a high devascularization rate and low systemic complication risk for hypervascular tumors.
• SQUID12 shows promise as a superior embolization agent compared to Contour.

Conclusions:

• Transoral surgery approaches for PPS tumors warrant re-evaluation for specific tumor sites.
• SQUID12 represents a promising embolization agent for hypervascular PPS tumors, offering improved safety and efficacy.