title: Pathologic Evaluation of Routine Nasopharynx Punch Biopsy in the Adult Population: Is It Really Necessary?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively evaluate the patients who underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy with imaging and biopsy results, who have or don't have symptoms for nasopharyngeal pathology and to determine the ratio of the nasopharyngeal cancer cases and other pathologic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 983 patients who underwent endoscopic nasopharyngeal biopsy for symptomatic nasopharyngeal lesions were included. All pathological results, benign or malign was recorded and classified due to the patients' presenting symptoms such as symptomatic for nasopharyngeal pathology or asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports were also recorded separately as group A for malignancy or group B for not malignancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five (4.6%) of 983 biopsies were malignant. In this group, there is no statistically significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic group. For malignant pathologies, the sensitivity of MRI was found 88.2% and CT was 61.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer, all patients admitted to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) referral clinics should be examined endoscopically irrespective of their complaints and suspicious cases should be investigated by imaging especially by MRI. If MRI report clearly indicates Thornwaldt cyst or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and this result is compatible with endoscopic findings, biopsy may not be necessary. Apart from these cases, all suspected lesions should be biopsied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bercin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yalciner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Togay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muderris
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Bitlis Tatvan State Hospital, Bitlis, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Özel Esencan Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: H Mervan
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Deger
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiris
keywords: Biopsy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms