[Diagnosis and treatment of the parapharyngeal space tumors].

OBJECTIVE

To study the diagnosis and treatment of the parapharyngeal space tumors.

METHOD

The clinical data of 22 patients with parapharyngeal space tumors treated in our hospital were retrospectively studied. All the patients underwent surgery. The tumors located in the left parapharyngeal space in 14 cases and in the right parapharyngeal space in 8 cases.

RESULT

Different surgical approaches were used: transcervical in 19 cases, transcervical-transmandibular in 2 cases, transoral in one case. The tumors were neurogenic origin in 15 cases, salivary gland origin in 4 cases, and others in 3 cases proved by postoperative pathology. Of these, 18 (81.8%) were benign and 4 (18.2%) malignant. Two patients with malignant tumors died 2 and 3 years respectively after operation due to recurrences, and others showed no evidence of recurrence after follow up for over one year. The fine-needle aspiration biopsy guided by ultrasonography provided the correct results of benign or malignant tumors in 4 cases.

CONCLUSION

The image examination of the neck can identify the tumors in the parapharyngeal space. The fine-needle aspiration biopsy guided by ultrasonography can differentiate the tumor between benign and malignancy. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for tumors in the parapharyngeal space.