Nasopharyngeal carcinoma during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, particularly during pregnancy, rarely comes to medical attention before it spreads to the regional lymph nodes.


METHODS
We report a 26-year-old Taiwanese woman who suffered from persistent headache and purulent nasal discharge during mid-pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging examination showed a large soft tissue mass measuring 3 x 2 x 2 cm in the left nasopharynx at 31 weeks of gestation. Punch biopsy of the tumor was done, and the histopathologic report revealed poorly differentiated, non-keratinizing type of squamous cell carcinoma (T4N2M0). A female infant weighing 1,790 g was delivered by cesarean section at 33 weeks of gestation with Apgar scores of 5 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. The patient received chemotherapy and radiation therapy after delivery. She was disease-free for 3 years. Subsequently, the patient delivered a second healthy infant weighing 3,084 g in a consecutive pregnancy, with a 3-year birth interval. Her first and second child showed normal psychomotor development at 3 years and 6 months of age, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The possibility of rare nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be considered in any pregnant woman with presenting symptoms of persistent headache and abnormal nasal discharge, and a detailed thorough investigation is indicated. Successful pregnancy outcome can be achieved after tailored use of a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Lin
Tsung-I
TI
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Lin
Jin-Ching
JC
Ho
Esther Shih-Chu
ES
Chou
Min-Min
MM
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000628:therapy*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D028761:Withholding Treatment