Twenty-four patients with parapharyngeal space tumors were treated from 1964 to 1999.There were 11 males and 13 females,ranging in age from 10 to 71 years old.Among 24 patients, benign tumors were 17(70.8%),malignant tumors 7(29.2%).The diagnosis of these tumors were biopsy and CT scaning .Pathologic results showed that the original tumors were salivary gland tissue in 11(45.8%),cranial nerve in 7(29.2%),vascular tissue in 2(8.3%)and the unidentified in 4(16.7%).The surgical approaches for these tumors were neck side incision in 19,through mouth in 5.Results showed that 4 malignant tumors were died in one year,3 cases did not clear;the prognosis of 17 benign tumors were well.