ear, nose, and throat disorders
Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Symptoms and Signs of Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer often presents with palpable lymph node metastases in the neck. Another common presenting symptom is hearing loss, usually caused by nasal or eustachian tube obstruction leading to a middle ear effusion. Other symptoms include ear pain, purulent bloody rhinorrhea, frank epistaxis, and cranial nerve palsies. Cranial nerve palsies most often involve the 6th, 4th, and 3rd cranial nerves due to their location in the cavernous sinus, in close proximity to the foramen lacerum, which is the most common route of intracranial spread for these tumors. Because lymphatics of the nasopharynx communicate across the midline, bilateral metastases are common. 