Surgical treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension. Clinical article.

OBJECT: The purpose of this study was to describe the surgical treatment and outcomes of patients with intracranial extension of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA).

METHODS: Twenty-one patients who underwent operations for JNAs between 1994 and 2008 were enrolled in the study. Seven patients (33%) had intracranial tumor extension. The middle cranial fossa and cavernous sinus were involved in 4 patients who underwent operations via the combined infratemporal fossa-midfacial degloving approach. The anterior skull base was involved in 3 patients who underwent the subcranialmidfacial degloving approach.

RESULTS: Complete tumor removal was achieved in all patients. Postoperative complications included 1 case of soft-tissue infection. None of the patients had tumor recurrence after a mean follow-up of 42 months (range 29-85 months). No adjuvant therapy was required in any patient.

CONCLUSIONS: Combined approaches can be used effectively for treatment of JNAs with intracranial extension without the need for adjuvant therapy.