Endoscopic surgery of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a vascular benign tumor that affects young men, and surgery is the treatment of choice. Endoscopic surgery has been used to excise tumors in their initial stages, when there is no evidence of residual or recurrent disease. AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the endoscopic approach preceded by tumor embolization as treatment option for stages II to III angiofibroma. Treatment morbidity was evaluated through: surgery duration, hospital stay after surgery, the need for blood transfusion, complications, the time span between preoperative embolization and surgery, and tumor recurrence. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out with nine patients treated at the Fortaleza General Hospital SESA/SUS from October 2001 through November 2004. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, we may conclud that the endoscopic approach, when preceded by embolization, is effective to treat angiofibromas in their initial stages, with reduced postoperative morbidity.