What is the Diagnostic Role of Adenoid Hypertrophy and Adult-Onset Otitis Media with Effusion in Clinically Asymptomatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma?

Abstract

Objectives: To verify the role of adenoid hypertrophy (AH) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in adult patients, in relation to the diagnosis of clinically asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: One hundred and six adult patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Of 256 cases who underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy for suspected nasopharyngeal malignancy in our clinic between January 2009 and July 2014, this subset met our criteria. We divided the patients into two groupspatients with AH only and those with synchronous presence of OME, and AH. Results: Two patients out of 68 (2.9%) in the first group (only AH) and one patient out of 38 (2.6%) in the second group had NPC. There was no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: We found that asymmetric AH in adult patients seems an important risk factor for NPC, and we strongly suggest that biopsy be done to rule out nasopharyngeal carcinoma, whether or not they synchronously have OME even in the absence of other clinical symptoms that would arouse suspicion of a nasopharyngeal malignancy, such as neck mass, epistaxis and cranial nerve impairment.