Challenges in Diagnosing Nasopharyngeal Tumors
Abstract
:Highlights
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- Even if nasopharyngeal tumors are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, there are procedures for the effective and rapid diagnosis of nasopharyngeal tumors, which is essential for timely therapeutic interventions and optimizing results.
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- Patients turn to the doctor most of the time for the appearance of a lump in the neck region or repetitive epistaxis, but the number of cases with an otic onset seems to be increasing recently.
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Comparative Analysis of Debut Presentations
- Relative Frequency of Each Presentation
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- Nasal Symptoms. These were the most frequent presentation in your clinic, seen in 43.75% of cases. This suggests that nearly half of the NPC patients initially present with symptoms related to the nasal area, like nosebleeds or nasal obstruction.
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- Otic Symptoms. Otic symptoms, including hearing loss or ear fullness, were the second most common, observed in 31.25% of cases. This indicates that otic presentations are also quite prevalent, making up almost one-third of the cases.
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- Cervical Lymphadenopathy. This presentation, characterized by neck masses, was the least frequent, found in 25% of the patients. This is still a significant proportion, emphasizing that a quarter of NPC cases may initially present with neck lymph node.
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- Proportional Representation
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- Nasal vs. Otic Symptoms. Nasal symptoms were more common than otic symptoms. For every 10 patients, approximately 4.4 had nasal symptoms, while about 3.1 had otic symptoms. Thus, nasal symptoms are about 1.4 times more likely to be the presenting feature than otic symptoms.
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- Nasal vs. Cervical Lymphadenopathy. Nasal symptoms were significantly more common than cervical lymphadenopathy. For every 10 patients, around 4.4 had nasal symptoms compared to 2.5 with cervical lymphadenopathy. Therefore, nasal symptoms are 1.75 times more likely than cervical lymphadenopathy to be the initial presentation.
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- Otic Symptoms vs. Cervical Lymphadenopathy. Otic symptoms were generally more frequent than cervical lymphadenopathy, being seen in about 3.1 out of every 10 patients compared to 2.5 out of 10. This makes otic symptoms 1.25 times more likely to be the initial presentation than cervical lymphadenopathy.
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- Patient to Patient Ratios
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- Nasal to Otic Symptoms. For every 1 patient presenting with otic symptoms, there were 1.4 patients presenting with nasal symptoms.
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- Nasal to Cervical Lymphadenopathy. For every 1 patient with cervical lymphadenopathy, there were 1.75 patients with nasal symptoms.
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- Otic Symptoms to Cervical Lymphadenopathy. For every 1 patient with cervical lymphadenopathy, there were 1.25 patients with otic symptoms.
Discussions
- Hidden area. The area is not easily accessible, and the tumor may not be visible during a routine physical examination [17].
- Non-Specific Symptoms. Early-stage nasopharyngeal tumors may not cause specific symptoms, or the symptoms may be nonspecific, such as nasal congestion, a sore throat, or earache. These symptoms can be attributed to various common illnesses, leading to delayed diagnosis [18].
- Similar Symptoms to Other Conditions. Symptoms of nasopharyngeal tumors, such as nosebleeds, ear problems, and neck lumps, can be indicative of various other conditions, making it challenging to attribute them specifically to a nasopharyngeal tumor without further investigation [19].
- Silent Development. In some cases, nasopharyngeal tumors can develop silently without causing noticeable symptoms until they reach an advanced stage. This makes early detection less likely [20].
- Rare Nature of the Tumor. Nasopharyngeal tumors are relatively rare compared to tumors in other head and neck regions. This rarity can contribute to a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals, leading to delayed consideration of nasopharyngeal tumors in the diagnostic and treatment processes [21].
- Asymptomatic Carriers of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection. However, many individuals with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may be asymptomatic carriers of EBV, and the presence of the virus alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis [8].
- Case one
- Case two
- Case three
Conclusions
Institutional Review Board Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
References
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© 2024 by the author. 2024 Alexandru Aristide Alexe, Mihai Victor Lupascu, Haldun Septar, Anca Pantea Stoian, Andra Iulia Suceveanu, Viorel Gherghina, Iuliana Cindea, Alina Doina Nicoara, Laura Mazilu, Razvan Hainarosie, Felix Voinea, Adrian Paul Suceveanu.
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Alexe, A.A.; Lupascu, M.V.; Septar, H.; Pantea Stoian, A.; Suceveanu, A.I.; Gherghina, V.; Cindea, I.; Nicoara, A.D.; Mazilu, L.; Hainarosie, R.; et al. Challenges in Diagnosing Nasopharyngeal Tumors. J. Mind Med. Sci. 2024, 11, 437-443. https://doi.org/10.22543/2392-7674.1548
Alexe AA, Lupascu MV, Septar H, Pantea Stoian A, Suceveanu AI, Gherghina V, Cindea I, Nicoara AD, Mazilu L, Hainarosie R, et al. Challenges in Diagnosing Nasopharyngeal Tumors. Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences. 2024; 11(2):437-443. https://doi.org/10.22543/2392-7674.1548
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexe, Alexandru Aristide, Mihai Victor Lupascu, Haldun Septar, Anca Pantea Stoian, Andra Iulia Suceveanu, Viorel Gherghina, Iuliana Cindea, Alina Doina Nicoara, Laura Mazilu, Razvan Hainarosie, and et al. 2024. "Challenges in Diagnosing Nasopharyngeal Tumors" Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences 11, no. 2: 437-443. https://doi.org/10.22543/2392-7674.1548
APA StyleAlexe, A. A., Lupascu, M. V., Septar, H., Pantea Stoian, A., Suceveanu, A. I., Gherghina, V., Cindea, I., Nicoara, A. D., Mazilu, L., Hainarosie, R., Voinea, F., & Suceveanu, A. P. (2024). Challenges in Diagnosing Nasopharyngeal Tumors. Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences, 11(2), 437-443. https://doi.org/10.22543/2392-7674.1548