In vivo diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using contact rhinoscopy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the potential use of contact endoscopy for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
Prospective study to examine the nasopharynx of 30 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 18 subjects with normal nasopharynx in a clinic setting using contact rhinoscopes (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany, 7215 AA, 00 and 7215 BA, 300; 23 cm long; 4 mm in diameter).


METHODS
The superficial cells of the normal nasopharynx and the nasopharyngeal tumors were stained with 1% methylene blue and examined with contact rhinoscopes at high magnifications (x 60 and x 150). The areas under examination were then biopsied. The contact endoscopic images were compared with the corresponding hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections of the biopsied tissues.


RESULTS
Sixty-six procedures were performed in 48 patients. The images of normal pseudostratified ciliated epithelium and squamous epithelium were readily recognized by contact endoscopy in all subjects with normal nasopharynx (10 men and 8 women; mean age, 51.9 y). Twenty-six of 30 patients with NPC (86.6%; 18 men and 8 women; mean age, 50.6 y) were successfully examined by contact endoscopy under local anesthesia. In these 26 patients, two patterns of malignant cells were identified with contact endoscopy. The patterns of contact endoscopic images corresponded well with the histologic findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Contact endoscopy is an accurate and reliable office-based procedure, which allows for in-vivo diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Pak
M W
MW
Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR China.
To
K F
KF
Leung
S F
SF
van Hasselt
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology