Nasopharyngeal carcinoma may also present with eye symptoms as the first symptom

The first symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients may not be nasopharyngeal symptoms. Some patients may have eye symptoms as the first symptoms.

Mr. Li is 55 years old. He suddenly developed double vision half a year ago, and only his left eye was affected. As it affected his vision, he went to the ophthalmology department for treatment. After examination, the ophthalmologist diagnosed him with central serous retinitis. Later, he was treated for this disease for nearly two months. Not only was Mr. Li's double vision not cured, but he also developed headaches. So the ophthalmologist asked an otolaryngologist for consultation. After examination, it was found that Mr. Li had a lesion in the left nasopharynx. A biopsy was taken and the pathological examination showed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

Cases like Mr. Li's that initially present with eye symptoms are relatively rare, but it is true that after the onset of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the tumor directly invades the ocular nerves, causing eye symptoms such as eye muscle movement disorders, diplopia, decreased vision, exophthalmos, and reduced visual field.

This is because nasopharyngeal carcinoma can invade the cavernous sinus through the internal carotid artery or foramen rupture, and then move forward through the superior orbital fissure to reach the orbit. Generally, the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma itself will appear first, but there are cases where the metastatic lesions develop faster than the primary lesions, which causes nasopharyngeal carcinoma to have eye symptoms as the first symptoms.

Therefore, when eye symptoms appear and there is no improvement after long-term symptomatic eye treatment, the possibility of nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be considered. Early detection and early treatment are the key to achieving a good prognosis.