Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is histologically benign and characterized by potentially expansive growth. In the course of growth it encroaches upon the adjacent structures. It is so uncommon, that most authors have seen a small number of cases with the tumor. Therefore they have had different opinions as to the management and have performed surgically in ununiform manners. The author reviewed thoroughly the literatures of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma that appeared in our country during the period of 1958 to 1972, and then discussed sex and age distributions, during between the onset of first symptom and diagnosis, and treatment, using the material obtained from the literatures in addition to my own unreported cases.
The results were as. follows:
1. Of 46 cases of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, 43 cases were males and only 3 cases were females. The onset was between 11 to 25 years of age in 43 cases, which was an average of 17.5years.
2. At the time of treatment symptoms had been present for an average of one year and 8 months, the range being one. month to 6 years.
3. Surgical treatment was the most frequently applied treatment and the transpalatine approach. was preferred to others in Korea.
During the operation blood loss was about 1, 600 ml on the average, and ranged from 600 ml to 4, 500 ml. Blood loss seemed to be able to be reduced under hypothermic anesthesia
4. Radiation therapy was used in a small number of cases with the tumor. It should have been given only to large or broad based tumor with the minimum required dosage, in order to reduce the size of the tumor and avoid frequent complications.
5. Hormone therapy was supposed to be a trial which seemed to have less complications than that that of radiation therapy.
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