Juvenile angiofibromas

[Zipporah Schumaker]

Juvenile angiofibroma is a rare noncancerous (benign) tumor that grows in the back of the nose, in the same area where the adenoids are located.
Juvenile angiofibroma occurs most commonly among adolescent boys. The tumor contains many blood vessels. It can grow slowly, spreading into the area around the brain and into the orbits of the eye.
Typically, the tumor causes a stuffy nose or headache, often with nosebleeds, which are sometimes very severe. The face may swell, or an eye may bulge. A mass may protrude from the nose, or the nose may become disfigured. If the tumor grows slowly, people may have few symptoms.