Radiologically occult nasopharyngeal carcinoma: the importance of clinical suspicion and repeat biopsy.
Aubrey Gaylard, Sophia Ma, Touraj Taheri et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A man in his 40s, previously diagnosed with a left-sided nasopharyngeal lesion, returned with aural fullness and tinnitus. Flexible nasendoscopy revealed subtle changes at the left eustachian tube orifice, but MRI showed no significant findings. Due to ongoing clinical concerns, a targeted biopsy was performed, confirming non-keratinising nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which was later reclassified as early invasive disease.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Persistent clinical suspicion is crucial in cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, even when imaging results are non-diagnostic.
Why it matters
This case underscores the importance of repeat biopsies in the presence of clinical findings that do not align with imaging results.