Nasopharyngeal mucoepidermoid carcinoma: a case report and review of its current management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20214237Keywords:
Nasopharynx, Mucoepidermoid carcinoma, NasopharyngectomyAbstract
Salivary gland tumours arising at the nasopharynx is highly infrequent. Among them the commonest is mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). Reports with a larger number of patients are often from Asian countries where nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is also predominant. Although nasopharyngeal MEC (NMEC) is a disease of adults, sporadic cases amongst children have been reported. We report a case of a 32 years old man presented with complaining of intermittent epistaxis over a year. His nasal endoscopy showed friable polypoid tumour at the right choanae. Histopathology revealed a NMEC and he underwent endoscopic endonasal nasopharyngectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy. The optimal treatment for NMEC is arbitrary due to the lack of evidence. However, unlike most sinonasal malignancies, NMEC has the tendency to manifest itself early and has good response to the treatment. Therefore, in this article we describe the clinical features and justifications for the selection of treatment options including surgical and non-surgical therapies and including the role of neck dissection.
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