Primary parapharyngeal space tumors in a Mexican cancer center.
OBJECTIVE
To describe clinical and demographic characteristics of the parapharyngeal space tumors and assess surgical approaches used to treat them at our institution.


METHODS
A retrospective and descriptive study of the parapharyngeal space tumors, excluding paragangliomas, treated from June 1991 to October 2002 in a cancer center. The study population included 21 patients, 8 men and 13 women, average age of 41 years (range, 20 to 70 years). Fine needle biopsy was done in 5 (24%) patients. Computed tomography (CT) was performed in all patients, and only a few required magnetic resonance image (MRI).


RESULTS
Surgical approaches included transcervical alone or in combination with parotidectomy, transoral, or transmandibular (mandibular swing) approach. Laminectomy and segmentary approaches were also performed in 1 patient each. Sixteen (76%) patients had benign lesions and 5 (24%) had malignant tumors. Neurogenic tumors represented 57% of all tumors. Mean tumor size was of 6.7 cm (range, 3 to 11 cm). Six (29%) patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Complications occurred in 6 (29%) patients, 4 (19%) of which were nervous injuries associated with peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Median disease-free follow-up survival was 33 months (range, 2 to 184 months) despite being an heterogeneous group of histologies.


CONCLUSIONS
Parapharyngeal space is a rare location for head and neck tumors. Cervical approach should be the first choice for large tumors; transoral approach is reserved for tumors less than 3 cm. Conversion to mandibular swing approach when the cervical approach is not offering proper exposure for tumor resection is indicated. Preoperative histologic diagnosis is not required. Nevertheless, CT scan should always be performed in order to exclude paragangliomas, distinguish prestyloid from poststyloid lesions, and to assess the extension of the tumor as well as its relationship with adjacent structures.
Luna-Ortiz
Kuauhyama
K
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Tlalpan, Mexico. kuauhyama@starmedia.com
Navarrete-Alemán
Jaime Esteban
JE
Granados-García
Martín
M
Herrera-Gómez
Angel
A
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D010611:Pharyngectomy / Q000379:methods; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed