What Is Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma (JNA)?
JNA’s are well-vascularized benign lesions typically occurring in adolescent males between the ages of 7-19 years old. The most common symptom of JNA's is nose bleeds and/or nasal obstruction. Additionally, patients may experience headaches, facial swelling, nasal discharge, decreased or loss of smell, or swelling of the soft palate.
Initial evaluation is through an endoscopic examination of the nose and sinuses. This is followed by both a CT and an MRI with contrast. An angiography can be done to see the blood vessels feeding the JNA tumor, but this is typically only done prior to surgery.
Treatment at Penn
Treatment for JNA's is primarily surgical. In the past, these types of tumors were resected with an open craniofacial incision (facial incisions) for resection. At Penn, surgeons perform these completely endoscopically (through the nose only) and usually require only a single operation for complete excision.