[Imaging and clinical features of nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the spreading patterns nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma.


METHODS
Eighteen pathologically confirmed consecutive cases of adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) and 182 cases of untreated nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) were reviewed.


RESULTS
Compared with NPC, ACC had higher rates of T4 disease (14.3% vs 38.9%,χ(2) = 7.197, P = 0.007) and paralyzed cranial nerve (6.0% vs 38.9%,χ(2) = 37.936, P < 0.001) . There was no significant difference in skull base invasion rates between 2 groups (53.3% vs 66.7%,χ(2) = 1.181, P = 0.277) . ACC had higher rates of MRI-detected cranial nerve canal invasion (32.4% vs 55.6%,χ(2) = 3.881, P = 0.049) and cavernous sinus invasion (13.7% vs 33.3%,χ(2) = 7.710, P = 0.028) than NPC. Lymph node metastasis occurred in 64.8% of ACC, and 11.1% of NPC (χ(2) = 19.699, P < 0.001) .


CONCLUSIONS
ACC has a higher rate of cranial nerve invasion and NPC has a higher rate of lymphatic metastasis.
Department of Radiology of Chongqing Traditonal Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing 400021, China.
Jie
J
Yin
Center for Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, SUN Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China. Email:liulizhi@sysucc.org.cn.
Li-zhi
LZ
Liu
Mo-fa
MF
Gu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000473:pathology*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies