Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of malignant tumors involving pterygopalatine fossa

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.