Imaging and clinical features of nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the spreading patterns nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighteen pathologically confirmed consecutive cases of adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) and 182 cases of untreated nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) were reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>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) .</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ACC has a higher rate of cranial nerve invasion and NPC has a higher rate of lymphatic metastasis.</p>