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Objectives: Access to the pterygopalatine fossa is very difficult due to its complex anatomy. Therefore, an open approach is traditionally used, but morbidity is unavoidable. To overcome this problem, an endoscopic endonasal approach was developed as a minimally invasive procedure. The surgical aim of the present study was to evaluate the utility of the endoscopic endonasal approach for the management of both benign and malignant tumors of the pterygopalatine fossa., Method: We report our experience with the endoscopic endonasal approach for the management of both benign and malignant tumors and summarize recent recommendations. A total of 13 patients underwent surgery via the endoscopic endonasal approach for pterygopalatine fossa masses from 2014 to 2016. This case group consisted of 12 benign tumors (10 juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas and two schwannomas) and one malignant tumor., Results: No recurrent tumor developed during the follow-up period. One residual tumor (juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma) that remained in the cavernous sinus was stable. There were no significant complications. Typical sequelae included hypesthesia of the maxillary nerve, trismus, and dry eye syndrome., Conclusion: The low frequency of complications together with the high efficacy of resection support the use of the endoscopic endonasal approach as a feasible, safe, and beneficial technique for the management of masses in the pterygopalatine fossa.

Objectives: The primary aim is to compare the prognostic parameters in patients with HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors. The secondary aim is to compare the patterns of treatment failure between these groups., Methods: Analysis of prognostic factors in a group of 170 patients., Results: High-risk HPV DNA was detected in 98 cases, 72 tumors were HPV negative. Both the overall and disease-specific survival rates were better in HPV-positive patients. In patients with HPV-negative tumors, the prognostic factors in univariate analysis were pT and pN classification, tumor stage, number of positive nodes, and extracapsular spread. Stage, pT, higher pN, and number of nodes maintained statistical significance after adjustment. None of the studied prognostic factors was significant in the group of patients with HPV-positive tumors. There was a significant difference in the local--regional recurrence rates--37% in HPV-negative cases and 18% in HPV-positive cases., Conclusion: The characteristics of the extent of the disease in general and of regional lymph node metastasis in particular are probably much less important in the prediction of the outcome of HPV-positive than of HPV-negative tumors. Improved survival of patients with HPV-positive tumors is due mostly to the difference in the local-regional failure rates., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The evidence that human papillomavirus infection is related to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is supported by molecular and epidemiological data. The definition of a distinct subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, independent of the traditional risk factors and with different clinical presentation and outcome, has led to increasing interest in human papillomavirus infection. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding human papillomavirus biology, oncogenic mechanisms, risk factors for transmission, clinical significance and prophylactic strategies.

Prognostic factors are important for treatment decisions as they help adapt the therapy on a case-to-case basis. Nodal status, number of positive nodes, and presence of extracapsular spread are considered to be the important prognostic factors in head and neck cancer. Some studies suggest that human papillomavirus (HPV) status also influences the outcome of the treatment. This influence can be explained by the variation in tendency to develop regional metastases and by variation in the type of neck node involvement. The study objectives were to compare patients with HPV positive and HPV-negative tumors for survival and prevalence and type of regional metastasis, to identify prognostic factors and to test whether HPV presence is an independent factor of survival. The study included 81 patients treated by surgery including neck dissection for oral or oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer. A computerized medical report was completed for each patient. Analysis of the tumor specimen for the HPV DNA presence was done on paraffin-fixed tissue. HPV DNA detection and typing were performed by PCR with GP5+/GP6+BIO primers and reverse line blot hybridization. Overall, 64% (52/81) of tumors were HPV positive with 80% in the tonsillar site. HPV-positive patients had significantly better both overall (73 vs. 35%) (P=0.0112) and disease-specific (79 vs. 45%) (P=0.0015) survival rates than HPV-negative patients. No significant differences were found in the pN classification, in the number of positive nodes and the presence of extracapsular spread in the involved nodes between HPV positive and HPV-negative tumors. Multivariate analysis showed that significant prognostic factors of survival were the presence of HPV in the tumor, extracapsular spread and tumor size. HPV was the most significant prognostic factor in the studied group of patients with oropharyngeal tumors (HR=0.27, 95%CI 0.12-0.61) and possibly should be considered in treatment decisions.