Treatment of juvenile angiofibromas: 18-year experience of a single tertiary centre in Spain

Abstract

Background: The management of juvenile angiofibroma (JA) has changed during the last decades but it still continues to be a challenge. The objective of this study was to review the used treatment and our outcomes. Methods: From 1992 to 2010, 48 cases of JA were treated at our department. Charts were reviewed for standard demographic, tumour size and location, vascular supply and results of embolization, surgical approach, operative results, adjuvant therapies, recurrence and postoperative follow-up. Results: Most tumours were Andrews-Fisch stages III and IV and surgery was used as the main treatment in all cases. We used an open surgical approach in 37 (77%) patients and 11 (23%) were treated endoscopically. The most common open approach used in this series was the subtemporal-preauricular approach. Until 1995, all tumours were operated on by a conventional open approach. Afterwards, early-stage tumours were operated on through an endoscopic approach. Ten patients were treated through surgery followed by radiosurgery. Two (4%) patients had recurrent disease. Conclusions: These tumours should be treated at centres with expertise in skull base surgery to achieve complete surgical resections with low morbidity. Radiosurgery after surgery seems to be a valuable option in the long-term control of some extended JAs.