Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Neurosurgery >
  • ... >
  • Brain >
  • Conditions >
  • Brain Tumors >
  • ​Angiofibroma
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Brain Tumors
Conditions
Our Experts
Treatments
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumors
Neurovascular
Cranial Nerve Disorders
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy
Chiari Malformation
Trauma & Injury
Treatments
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Brain Tumors
Conditions
Our Experts
Treatments
Pituitary and Skull Base Tumors
Neurovascular
Cranial Nerve Disorders
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy
Chiari Malformation
Trauma & Injury
Treatments
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

​Angiofibroma Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Angiofibroma is a rare benign tumor that forms in the nose. It almost always affects teenage boys, but can occasionally be seen in adult men.

While the tumor isn't cancerous, it can spread to other tissues in the nose. This can cause issues with the sinuses, eyes, skull, or even brain.

The primary treatment for angiofibroma is surgery, which can be curative.

The UPMC Department of Neurosurgery uses the less-invasive endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) to treat these tumors. We use special tools to access the tumor through the nose or sometimes hidden under the lip, meaning no visible incisions and a quick recovery.

Contact the UPMC Department of Neurosurgery

To make an appointment or learn more:

  • Call us at 1-412-647-3685 or outside the U.S., call 1-877-320-8762.
  • Fill out our UPMC Neurosurgery contact form.
  • Overview
  • Symptoms & Diagnosis
  • Treatment

What Is Angiofibroma?

Angiofibroma is a tumor in the nasal cavity — the open space in the head between the mouth and the eyes. It's where air flows when you breathe in through your nose.

The tumor is not brain cancer but can cause symptoms from pressure on important structures and affect other tissues.

It mostly forms in boys between 7 and 19 years old. Doctors diagnose it most often between 10 and 19.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is the most common type of benign tumor that forms in the nose but it is pretty rare. It accounts for only 0.5% of all head and neck tumors.

It isn't cancer, but it often grows into the sinuses, eyes, or skull cavity.

At UPMC, we treat angiofibroma with less-invasive surgery called the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA). Our skull base surgeons have treated more than 100 children using EEA — more than at any other skull base center.

Angiofibroma Risk Factors

Untreated angiofibromas may keep growing, and symptoms will get worse.

People with these tumors may develop more issues, including:

  • Life threatening nose bleeds.
  • Hearing loss if the tumor grows into the tube connecting the middle ear to the nasal cavity.
  • Double vision or blindness as the tumor damages the nerves responsible for sight or the junction where these nerves meet the brain.
  • Loss of the sense of smell, but this is rare.

Angiofibroma Symptoms and Diagnosis

The most common symptoms of angiofibroma are:

  • Blockage of the nasal cavity.
  • Frequent bloody nose.
  • Frequent runny nose.

If the tumor presses on nerves, you may lose vision or feeling in your face.

Some people may also form facial defects, such as:

  • Swelling of the cheek.
  • Drooping eyelids.
  • Bulging eyes.

Tests for diagnosing angiofibroma

To help diagnose an angiofibroma, doctors will do a physical exam to look for a pale, smooth growth inside the nasal cavity.

They'll likely order imaging to understand better where the tumor has grown and what structures it impacts. Imaging studies could be an MRI or CT scan of the head and facial bones. The imaging will confirm the diagnosis and show how big the tumor is.

Doctors generally avoid taking a sample (biopsy) because of the nature of these tumors. They often have many blood vessels and are not surrounded by muscle. Taking a piece of it could lead to extensive bleeding.

Angiofibroma Brain Tumor Treatment Options

Surgery

The most common treatment for angiofibroma is surgery.

Surgeons can approach angiofibromas directly using the EEA. This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive approach allows surgeons to access the tumor through the natural corridor of the nose. They're able to remove the growth without making an open incision, but larger tumors may require a hidden incision under the upper lip or, rarely, next to the eye.

Before surgery, the doctor may perform an imaging test and a procedure called an angiogram. This test uses X-rays and a special dye to highlight blood vessels.

With the blood vessels highlighted, the doctor can cut off the blood going to the tumor. This tumor embolization decreases blood loss when the surgeon cuts out the growth.

Surgeons then remove the angiofibroma through the nose and nasal cavities. EEA offers the benefits of no incisions to heal, no scarring, and a faster recovery time.

If a person needs more treatments, such as radiation, they can start soon after surgery, although this is almost always avoidable.

Radiation therapy

Radiation is generally avoided for these tumors. Small tumor remnant can be watched and often does not cause a problem after puberty is complete. Doctors may rarely suggest radiation exposure to kill any tumor cells left in the nasal or skull cavity.

Angiofibroma tumors that may need radiation include those that:

  • Have extended into the skull.
  • Surgeons can't remove safely.
  • Came back after repeat surgery.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is a new type of treatment for angiofibroma. The drug flutamide is a hormone therapy that blocks proteins that bind to the male sex hormone testosterone.

These drugs seem to help shrink tumors. Doctors are currently testing it in clinical trials.

Meet Baylor

He wears a brown sports jersey with the number 82 on the front. He has shaggy medium length brown hair. He is holding a football and posing on one knee.

This high school football player and his family turned to the experts at UPMC when a rare and large tumor began pushing into his nasal cavity.

Read Baylor's story

Meet Matthew

A purple background with white text which reads "We couldn't ask for a better surgical team. They are godsends," by Jody, Matthew's family.

UPMC surgeons performed an extraordinary, nine-hour surgery that allowed this average 10-year-old to return to the everyday fun of being a kid.

Read Matthew's story

Quick Links

  • Patient Stories
  • For Pediatric Patients
  • Legacy of Innovation
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login