Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in an HIV-positive patient causing severe morbidity and early death.
A nasopharyngeal carcinoma was the first event in an otherwise symptom free HIV person. No reports of simultaneous nasopharyngeal carcinoma and HIV infection are known to us. A 46-year-homosexual man was admitted to the ENT department with a three week history of pain in the throat referred to the left ear. He was found to have an irregular tumour in the nasopharynx with a lymph node metastasis to the left side of the neck. The poor response to radiotherapy and the very aggressive progress after treatment raised suspicion of a co-existing disease process. The risk of sexually transmitted HIV was confirmed post mortem and could explain the rapid progression of the tumour. No anti-HIV treatment was given concurrently with radiotherapy.
ENT University Clinic, Gentofte County Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
J
J
Hald
P L
PL
Larsen
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009333:Neck