Atypical extra nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in an unusual location: tonsil posterior pillar (oropharynx)

Abstract

Introduction. Angiofibroma is a benign, locally aggressive highly vascular tumor that typically affects young adolescent males and has a pathognomonic epicenter of origin in the nasopharynx. The atypical angiofibromas share the same histological features as that of Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, however they differ significantly in their clinical features. Aim. Here we are reporting a very rare case of atypical angiofibroma in an adult male presenting as a non-vascular mass in the oropharynx with posterior pillar as the subsite. Description of the case. A 26-years old male patient presented with chief complaints of foreign body sensation and mass in throat for one and a half months which was gradually progressive in size. Histopathological examination revealed a lesion with an intricate mixture of blood vessels, irregular fibrous stroma with loose edematous and fibrous area along with multinucleated stromal cells which was suggestive of angiofibroma. Conclusion. Oropharyngeal angiofibroma, being an atypical angiofibroma in terms of site and presenting complaints, presents a diagnostic challenge. Though rare, it should always be kept as a differential diagnosis in any oropharyngeal mass irrespective of its vascularity, typical age or sex of the patient.