A Case of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Presenting as Middle Ear Tumor / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) evolves most commonly from the pharyngeal recess posteromedial to the medial crura of the Eustachian tube opening in the nasopharynx. Therefore unilateral middle ear effusion with hearing loss is a common presenting symptom of NPC, and its presence in adult patients make physicians suspect NPC. Recently, we experienced a 72- year-old female patient with advanced NPC which invaded Eustachian tube and middle ear cavity. She had long standing chronic otitis media with large perforation of tympanic membrane. Because of tympanic membrane perforation, she did not have any Eustachian tube-related symptoms such as newly developing ear fullness or hearing loss and even the physician had overlooked the diagnosis of NPC. Her NPC was diagnosed at a very advanced stage after performing biopsy of middle ear tumor. This case report shows that NPC can present with very unusual findings like middle ear tumor.