Surgical management of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are benign yet aggressive anterior skull base tumors that occur almost exclusively in male adolescents. Diagnosis is typically made through radiographic findings and clinical characteristics; biopsy is not recommended due to the vascular nature of the disease. As with most tumors, there is a spectrum of tumor extent and invasion. In juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas, one of the most important components of extent is the vascular supply. Once the vascular supply is identified, a systematic approach to resection can be planned. The majority of these tumors can be excised endoscopically, and those approaches are the focus of this article.