Oral core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of malignant parapharyngeal space tumors

Abstract Objective To confirm the pre-treatment diagnosis of parapharyngeal space malignancy could aid the treatment plan. Methods For patients with suspected malignant parapharyngeal space tumors following preoperative imaging, oral biopsy was conducted for pathological diagnosis with the use of 22-G biopsy needles. Results A total of 11 patients were enrolled. There were three previously diagnosed cases of head and neck malignancy, and eight cases were newly diagnosed. The tumor diameters were in the range of 3 to 5.5 cm. Ten cases (90.9%) achieved positive results, of which eight cases (72.7%) obtained positive results with one puncture and two cases obtained positive pathological results with two punctures. One case did not obtain positive results with two punctures; open surgical resection was performed for this patient. There were no complications such as needle track implantation, heavy bleeding or neurological damage symptoms during the puncture process. Conclusions Oral biopsy is a minimally invasive, safe and effective technique for the diagnosis of parapharyngeal space tumors. It is easy to operate and could facilitate a comprehensive treatment plan for parapharyngeal space malignancies.