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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma presenting as carotidynia in an 18-year-old patient

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2007

D Ellul ,
J Cutajar ,
H Borg xuereb  and
M Said
D Ellul*
Affiliation:
ENT Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Malta
J Cutajar
Affiliation:
ENT Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Malta
H Borg xuereb
Affiliation:
ENT Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Malta
M Said
Affiliation:
ENT Department, St. Luke's Hospital, Malta
*
Address for correspondence: Dr David Ellul, Department of Surgery, St. Luke's Hospital, Gwardamangia Hill, Gwardamangia, Malta. E-mail: davidellul@onvol.net
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Abstract

Introduction:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma can present with a variety of symptoms the most common being painless cervical lymph node metastases, epistaxis and conductive hearing loss.

Case report:

We report a case of an 18-year-old male patient presenting to the ENT department with left sided carotidynia – severe pain in the neck radiating up to his ear. He had a small, exquisitely tender lump just below the bifurcation of the left common carotid artery. After the appropriate investigations he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Discussion:

In a literature search on Medline and Pubmed we found no reported cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma presenting with carotidynia, nor was carotidynia ever found to be associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Conclusion:

We believe that this is the first reported case of such a presentation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Keywords

NasopharynxParapharyngeal NeoplasmsCarcinomaNeck Pain
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 122 , Issue 2 , February 2008 , pp. 207 - 209
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2007

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