Juvenile angiofibroma

Juvenile angiofibroma

Definition:

A benign growth of the back of the nose or upper throat (nasopharynx) that contains many blood vessels.

Alternative Names:

Nasal tumor; Angiofibroma - juvenile; Benign nasal tumor

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Juvenile angiofibroma is relatively uncommon. It typically is discovered in adolescent boys and is associated with nasal obstruction a visible nasal mass and nosebleeds (epistaxis). The tumor is locally invasive and capable of eroding bone.

Symptoms:

nosebleeds (epistaxis)
- frequent
- repeated
nasal congestion, difficulty breathing through the nose
nasal discharge, usually blood tinged
hearing loss
prolonged bleeding, bruising easily -- episodes are frequent or occur repeatedly (recurrent)

Signs and tests:

Angiofibroma may be visible on examination of the nasopharynx.

An X-ray or a CT scan of the head (nose area) confirms the presence of angiofibroma.
Nasal mucosal biopsy indicates tumor or polyp.

Treatment:

Treatment is required if the angiofibroma is enlarging, obstructing the airway, or causing chronic nosebleeds. In some cases, no treatment is necessary.

Surgical treatment includes removal of the tumor. Removal is often difficult because the tumor is unencapsulated and may be deeply invasive. Recurrence of the tumor after surgical resection is common.

Clotting of the vessels of the tumor (embolization) may cause the tumor to scar and stop bleeding. Embolization is performed by injecting a substance into the blood vessel to block blood flow through it. Embolization may be adequate by itself to correct the nosebleeds, or it may be followed by surgery to remove the tumor.

Expectations (prognosis):

Although not cancerous, angiofibromas may continue to expand. They may disappear spontaneously. There is a high rate of recurrence after surgical removal.

Complications:

expansion of the angiofibroma to the nose, the sinuses, and other structures
anemia from chronic blood loss
pressure on the brain from expansion of the angiofibroma (rare)

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if repeated or frequent nosebleeds occur.

Prevention:

There is no known way to prevent this condition.

Review Date: 12/2/2001
Reviewed By: Jonathan Fanaroff, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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