Complications in the endoscopic and endoscopic-assisted treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension

Abstract

Introduction: Although it is a rare neoplasm, juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, with the potential for intracranial extension. Surgical excision is the main treatment. The external approach has largely been replaced by the endoscopic approach in small lesions, and it can be used as a complement in more advanced cases. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the complications of surgical treatment of JNAs with intracranial extension. Aim: To assess the prevalence of complications in endoscopic or endoscopic-assisted surgical treatment of JNA with minimal intracranial invasion. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients with JNA with intracranial extension (Radkowski grade IIIa) treated with endoscopic, endoscopic-assisted, and external surgery from January of 1996 to May of 2010. Results: Thirteen patients underwent surgery. Endoscopic surgery was performed in three patients, without postoperative complications; endoscopic-assisted surgery in three others, with two instances of complications, and external surgery in seven. Conclusions: Operative treatment of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension is one of the major challenges of ENT and neurosurgical practice. The success rates and low intra- and postoperative complication rates of endoscopic surgery suggest that this route has been gaining ground in the management of Radkowski grade IIIa JNAs.