Clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck malignant tumors

Perineural invasion is a unique biological behavior of tumors via nerve dissemination and metastasis, which is intimately correlated with the recurrence, metastasis and prognosis. With the deepening research, the clinical significance of perineural invasion has been widely recognized. However, due to the low incidence of head and neck neoplasms and the varying incidence of perineural invasion in different anatomical sites and pathological types, high-level evidence-based medical evidence is still lacking. Currently, the pathological mechanism of perineural invasion has not been clearly clarified. No specific treatment has been available for perineural invasion. Therefore, the treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck tumors is an enormous challenge for clinicians. In this article, the current status of clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion in head and neck malignancies was reviewed. Key words: Head and neck neoplasm; Perineural invasion; Diagnosis and treatment