This study sought to demonstrate an NSF’s effectiveness after endoscopic debridement of radionecrosis in reconstructing nasopharyngeal or skull base defects.
Nine patients with NPC who underwent navigation-guided endoscopic debridement, followed by NSF reconstruction, were included. The patients’ clinical features and outcomes were evaluated.
All nine patients had headaches, and eight had a foul odor associated with their radionecrosis. One patient underwent three radiotherapy treatments, four had two treatments, and the remaining four had just one treatment. The foul odor disappeared after treatment in all the patients who had been affected. The NSF detached in two patients. In one patient, NSF failed, and the patient experienced a postoperative rupture of the internal carotid artery. The NSF successfully covered the seven other patients’ resultant defects, despite one intraoperative internal carotid artery rupture. Two patients required further debridement, whereas the others experienced complete healing after just one surgical procedure. The nasopharyngeal surface was healthy-appearing in eight patients.
The study concluded that reconstruction using NSF after endoscopic debridement for NPC radionecrosis allowed for faster healing and reduced the need for further debridement.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2500/ajra.2018.32.4486
