Surgical treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension

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 subcranial-midfacial degloving approach. Results. Complete tumor removal was achieved in all patients. Postoperative complications included I 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. (DOI: 10.3171/2009.4.PEDS08321)