A common symptom with an uncommon diagnosis

Abstract

Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the uncommon tumours and the most difficult tumour to diagnose at an earlier stage due to the clandestine and deceptive nature. The incidence is more common in men with a peak incidence of 50 to 60 years. The suspicion of tumour at the earliest stage is very helpful in reducing morbidity and mortality. Case presentation A 45-year-old female presented with right hemi cranial headache for 2years without any comorbidities for that she consulted many hospitals and got symptomatic and empherical treatment in which her symptoms resolved temporarily and recurred. We did diagnostic nasal endoscopy and found a smooth globular mass in the right nasopharynx with contrast enhanced computerised tomography mass extending into the muscle plane which was found with the confirmation of diagnosis as undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma by histopathological examination and treated accordingly. Conclusion Although the diagnosis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the earlier stage is difficult, it is an imperative one because the prognosis depends upon the stage of the disease in which it has been diagnosed. The clinicians always should have a suspicion of the rare disease for a day-to-day unresolved symptom, because the earlier diagnosis and appropriate management helps in the prevention of the life-threatening complications of any disease.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Presenting With Occipital Headache as a Sole Symptom in a Young Adult Male: A Case Report

“…Wu et al have found that those who present only with headaches had the highest misdiagnosis rate of 86.4% among patients with nasopharyngeal cancer [19]. Velayutham et al reported a case of a 45year-old female that presented with a right hemicranial headache for two years and was diagnosed later to have an NPC [20].…”

Potency of Peripheral Blood- and Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Dendritic Cells and Their Secretomes as Vaccines for Cancer

“…These 4 signals are: 1) the interaction between T cell receptor (TCR) on the T cells and MHC; 2) co-stimulation through CD28 and CD80/86, which are expressed on T cells and DC respectively; 3) secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL)-12, which can stimulate the expansion function and memory formation of CTL; or 4) DC control the activation of particular integrins and chemokine receptors on T cells to guide migration in the direction of targeted organs. [13][14][15][16][17][18] After being activated by DC, CTL cells will secrete the cytolytic granzyme B that can effectively induce rapid apoptosis of target cells. On the other hand, DC also secrete several cytokines and a large number of exosomes, which together operate as a whole antigen-presenting entity.…”

How to avoid pitfalls when referring patients to otolaryngology

“…Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may present with symptoms mimicking a prolonged common cold and/or otitis media; a high degree of suspicion by clinicians can prompt early referral to ENT for proper treatment. 1,2 • Incorrect imaging. For example, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for nose and sinus issues requires image-guidance CT scans of the sinuses.…”

“…Patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) need urgent referral to ENT for intratympanic corticosteroid injection or high-dose oral corticosteroid therapy to restore the patient's hearing. Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may present with symptoms mimicking a prolonged common cold and/or otitis media; a high degree of suspicion by clinicians can prompt early referral to ENT for proper treatment 1,2…”