title: Parapharyngeal space tumors: 61 case reviews.
abstract: Parapharyngeal tumors account for 0.5% of head and neck tumors. They are difficult to diagnose because they have few symptoms and are surgically inaccessible. This retrospective study included 61 patients with parapharyngeal space tumors, treated in the last 20 years. The data, obtained from the medical records, included symptoms and clinical signs, diagnostic procedures, surgical approach, postoperative complications and histopathological findings. The most common symptoms were dysphagia, foreign body sensation, pain, and symptom-free patients. For precise tumor localization and its relation to adjacent structures, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and contrast angiography were used. All the patients were treated surgically. The commonest surgical approach was transcervical, followed by transoral and combined transcervical-transoral. Histopathological examination verified that the origin of these tumors was most frequently salivary or neurogenic.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center of Serbia, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, Pasterova 2, Beograd, Serbia. drmilovan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Dimitrijevic
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Jesic
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mikic
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Arsovic
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Tomanovic
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000601:surgery; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult