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Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of malignant tumors involving pterygopalatine fossa. Head & neck Woo, H., Hwang, P. H., Kaplan, M. J., Choby, G. 2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To identify the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of malignancies involving the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF).METHODS: Fifty-seven patients who underwent curative surgery for malignant tumor involving PPF were reviewed.RESULTS: The rates for three-year local control (LC), five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and five-year overall survival (OS) were 55.4%, 34.5%, and 52.7%, respectively. Perineural invasion (PNI) of the maxillary nerve with facial numbness (symptomatic V2 PNI) (P = .04) and cranial involvement (P = .03) were predictors for poor OS. Symptomatic V2 PNI was also a significant predictor for poor LC (P = .05) and DFS (P = .03). Within the subgroup analysis of patients with pathologically confirmed V2 PNI, asymptomatic V2 PNI patients had significantly better LC (71.2% vs 31.8%, P = .05) and DFS (43.8% vs 17.3%, P = .05) compared to symptomatic patients.CONCLUSION: Malignant tumors involving the PPF have diverse pathologies and a poor prognosis. Symptomatic V2 PNI may be an independent poor prognostic factor.

View details for DOI 10.1002/hed.26000

View details for PubMedID 31682306