angiofibroma

An angiofibroma is a benign tumor that grows in the nasal cavity. This type of tumor almost always develops in adolescent boys and might be called a juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. These tumors are not cancerous and only rarely become cancerous. Even so, these benign tumors can grow extremely rapidly and sometimes spread from the nasal cavity into other parts of the cranium.

The most common symptoms of angiofibroma are nasal congestion, headache, nosebleeds, facial swelling, difficulty breathing through the nose and nasal-sounding speech. Children with angiofibromas might also develop a condition called otorrhea, in which fluid drains from one or both ears. Diagnosis of these nasopharyngeal tumors is generally made on the basis of medical imaging tests such as MRIs, CT scans and X-rays. The child might also undergo an arteriogram, a procedure that allows the doctor to view the blood supply which feeds the tumor.