Vol.101 No.5 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 101 No. 5 May 2008
Clinical Study of the Parapharyngeal Space Tumors
Hideki Chijiwa, Kikuo Sakamoto, Hirohito Umeno and Tadashi Nakashima
(Kurume University School of Medicine)
We reviewed 23 cases of parapharyngeal space tumors that were treated at Kurume University Hospital between 1990 and 2006. Histological diagnoses were obtained by excision of tumors (21/23). Seventy-six percent of the parapharyngeal space tumors were benign, and 24％ were malignant. Thirty-eight percent (8/21) of these tumors were pleomorphic adenoma, and 24％ (5/21) were schwannoma. The trans-parotid approach and the trans-mandible approach were used in 88％ (14/16) of benign tumors, the mandibular swing approach was used in one case of malignant tumor. Postoperative complications were identified in 16 of the 21 patients. The most common complication, facial nerve paralysis, was identified in 8 patients and 7 patients were demonstrated first bite syndrome. In consideration of the high incidence of postoperative complication, the surgical approach should be carefully selected when treating parapharyngeal space tumors.
Key words :parapharyngeal space tumor, histological diagnosis, postoperative complication, surgical approach