Pterygopalatine fossa and maxillary nerve infiltration in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Vincent F. H. Chong; Yoke-Fun Fan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 327 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(199703)19:2<121::aid-hed6>3.0.co;2-6

✦ Synopsis

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) outside this region. 1 The incidence of NPC in the may infiltrate the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and the maxillary Western population is less than 1 per 10 5 per nerve. This study illustrates involvement of the naxillary nerve in the PPF with perineural spread to the cavernous sinus. year, whereas in southern Chinese it is 10-30 Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients with proven per 10 5 per year.

NPC were studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and

The pattern of NPC spread is well docucomputed tomography (CT). The images were retrospectively mented by Sham et al. 3 Miural et al 4 reported reviewed for PPF infiltration and maxillary nerve involvement.

anterior extension as the most common pathway.

Results: Seventeen (15%) patients showed infiltration of the PPF. Four patients had maxillary nerve involvement and a peri-Tumor extension into the pterygopalatine fossa neural spread to the cavernous sinus. Of the 17 patients with (PPF) through the sphenopalatine foramen may PPF infiltration, 8 (47%) patients showed hypoesthesia in the take place following invasion of the nasal fossa.

distribution of the infraorbital nerve. All 4 patients with contrast-Aggressive tumors erode the pterygoid process enhancement of the maxillary nerve exhibited infraorbital neuand gain access to the PPF directly. Tumors may ropathy.

Conclusion: Infiltration of the maxillary nerve in the PPF with also spread into the masticator space and infilintracranial spread is uncommon but should be suspected in patrate the PPF via the pterygomaxillary fissure.

tients with infraorbital neuropathy. This is important as it affects

Infiltration of the PPF places the maxillary nerve both prognosis and radiation treatment planning. © 1997 John at risk. From the PPF, the tumor may extend