Tissue maturation correlating to clinical manifestations in juvenile angiofibroma.
OBJECTIVE
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a rare benign tumor that affects young male patients and shows a characteristic development from its origin. It is not a true neoplasm, but shows features of vascular processes, developing into a more fibrous condition. The aim of this study was to correlate the clinical manifestations and the histologic findings of the tumor.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients without previous treatment were studied. We correlated the incidence and duration of the clinical manifestations (nasal obstruction, epistaxis, nasal and/or pharyngeal tumor, and facial deformity) and morphometric histologic analyses of the central region of the tumor (number, caliber, and presence of muscle cells in the vessel wall, and tissue maturity and cellularity).


RESULTS
The duration of nasal obstruction, the presence of nasal and/or pharyngeal tumor, and facial deformity were significantly correlated with the number of vessels, the tissue maturation, and the cellularity of the tumor. Epistaxis showed a strong correlation with the presence of muscle fibers in the vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
There are correlations between the duration of the clinical manifestations and histologic maturation in the central portion of the tumor.
Sennes
Luiz U
LU
Department of Otolaryngology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fortes
Felipe S G
FS
Butugan
Ossamu
O
Saldiva
Paulo H
PH
Bernardi
Fabiola C
FC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018322:Angiofibroma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed