A Rare Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma's Metastasis to the Ear
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Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor of the nasopharynx which is common in South-Eastern Asia. Commonly, route of spreads are hematogenous and via lymphatic systems, spreading to the cervical lymph nodes, bone, lung or liver. External auditory canal (EAC) metastasis in NPC is extremely rare. We report a 69-year-old Malay woman previously treated for NPC (T3N2M0) presented with right otlagia and ear mass. She exhibited symptoms and signs resembling malignant otitis externa, but conventional treatments proved ineffective. Biopsy taken from right ear mass revealed undifferentiated carcinoma. Despite its rarity, metastatic NPC warrants inclusion in the list of potential diagnoses for patients exhibiting EAC lesions or masses in NPC patients.
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