Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a histologically benign but locally aggressive vascular tumor of the nasopharynx that arises from the superior margin of the sphenopalatine foramen and grows in the back of the nasal cavity. It most commonly affects adolescent males (because it is a hormone-sensitive tumor).Though it is a benign tumor, it is locally invasive and can invade the nose, cheek, orbit (frog face deformity), or brain. Patients with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma usually present with one-sided nasal obstruction with profuse epistaxis. Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a histologically benign but locally aggressive vascular tumor of the nasopharynx that arises from the superior margin of the sphenopalatine foramen and grows in the back of the nasal cavity. It most commonly affects adolescent males (because it is a hormone-sensitive tumor).Though it is a benign tumor, it is locally invasive and can invade the nose, cheek, orbit (frog face deformity), or brain. Patients with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma usually present with one-sided nasal obstruction with profuse epistaxis. If nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is suspected based on physical examination (a smooth vascular submucosal mass in the posterior nasal cavity of an adolescent male), imaging studies such as CT or MRI should be performed. Biopsy should be avoided as to avoid extensive bleeding since the tumor is composed of blood vessels without a muscular coat.