Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: a single centre's 11-year experience

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to present the clinical features and surgical outcomes of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma patients who were surgically treated. METHODS: The medical records of 48 male patients histologically confirmed as having juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, who underwent transnasal endoscopic surgery between 2005 and 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The overall recurrence rate was 20.8 per cent; however, the recurrence rate differed significantly between patients diagnosed aged less than 14 years (34.7 per cent) and more than 14 years (8 per cent) (p < 0.05). Advanced-stage tumours (Radkowski stage of IIC or more, and Onerci stage of III or more) were more aggressive than earlier stage tumours (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Pre-operative embolisation significantly prolonged mean hospitalisation duration, but had no effect on intra-operative blood loss in patients with advanced-stage tumours (p < 0.001 and p = 0.09, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings show that transnasal endoscopic surgery could be considered the treatment of choice for juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. Patients diagnosed when aged less than 14 years and those with advanced-stage tumours are at risk of recurrence, and should be monitored with extreme care.