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Juvenile Angiofibromas

By Udayan K. Shah, MD, Professor;Chief, Division of Otolaryngology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University;Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children

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Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders in Children
Introduction to Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders in Children
Communication Disorders in Children
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids
Hearing Impairment in Children
Juvenile Angiofibromas
Neck Masses in Children
Overview of Middle Ear Infections in Young Children
Acute Middle Ear Infection in Children
Chronic Middle Ear Infection in Children
Secretory Otitis Media in Children
Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Juvenile angiofibroma is a rare noncancerous (benign) tumor that grows in the back of the nose, in the same area where the adenoids are located.

A Look Inside the Throat

Juvenile angiofibroma occurs most commonly among adolescent boys. The tumor contains many blood vessels. It can grow slowly, spreading into the area around the brain and into the orbits of the eye.

Typically, the tumor causes a stuffy nose or headache, often with nosebleeds, which are sometimes very severe. The face may swell, or an eye may bulge. A mass may protrude from the nose, or the nose may become disfigured. If the tumor grows slowly, people may have few symptoms.

Diagnosis

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
Often angiography

Doctors suspect the diagnosis of juvenile angiofibroma based on symptoms.

To confirm the diagnosis, doctors do the imaging tests computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Another imaging test called angiography (x-rays of blood vessels taken after a dye is injected in the veins to outline them) is often done so that the tumor's blood vessels can be blocked (embolization) before surgery, which reduces bleeding.

A partial biopsy of the tumor may be done but is usually avoided because it can result in severe bleeding.