Nasopharyngeal carcinoma spreading along the eustachian tube: the imaging appearance.
Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in Taiwan. It can spread anteriorly, laterally, posteriorly, superiorly and inferiorly. Skull base invasion is the common presentation, in up to one-third of cases. We report a rare spreading pathway of NPC, via the eustachian tube. A 44-year-old male suffered from NPC and got radiotherapy about 2 years ago. He suffered from middle ear effusion and facial nerve palsy on the right side recently. The computed tomography and magnetic resonance image could clearly depict the infiltrating tumor over the mastoid region and tympanic cavity on the right side, spreading along the eustachian tube. It could result in eustachian tube dysfunction and middle ear effusion. The nature of the right facial palsy was most likely due to tumor infiltration.
Yang
Ming-Shiang
MS
Department of Radiology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC. yangming@vghtc.gov.tw
Chen
Clayton Chi-Chang
CC
Cheng
Yung-Yi
YY
Hung
Hao-Chun
HC
Chen
Wen-Hsien
WH
Lee
Mu-Cheng
MC
Lee
Cheng-Wheigh
CW
Lee
San-Kan
SK
D000328:Adult; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed