[MIM 161 550, 607 107, 617 075]

Incidence: 1/100,000. It seems more common in China and Tunisia. Tumor that develops in or outside the nasopharynx to the other lateral wall and/or in a posterior and upper direction towards the base of the skull or the palate, the nasal cavity or the oropharynx. It usually produces metastases in the cervical lymph nodes. Cervical lymphadenopathy is the initial presentation in many patients, and the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is often made following the biopsy of the lymph node.

WHO distinguishes three subtypes:

1.        malpighian carcinoma, generally observed in the adult population;

2.        non-keratinizing carcinoma;

3.        undifferentiated carcinoma.

The symptoms associated with the primary tumor include trismus, pain, middle ear infection, nasal regurgitation due to soft palate paresis, hearing loss and paralysis of a cranial nerve. Larger tumors can cause nasal obstruction or bleeding and 'nasal speech'

Anesthetic implications: 

nasal obstruction, risk of bleeding

References : 

Updated: June 2020