What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis to the skull base? What are the metastatic pathways of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastases to the skull base? What are the metastatic pathways of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

The following are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis introduced by the author:

1. Symptoms caused by lymph node metastasis: Cancer cells metastasize to the neck through lymph nodes, forming a mass. A painless mass in the neck is the most obvious symptom of lymph node metastasis. The mass first occurs on one side, grows rapidly, and then affects the opposite side of the neck.

2. Symptoms of brain metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Due to the rapid growth of the tumor and severe edema around it, the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure are more obvious. Patients will experience clinical symptoms such as headache, vomiting, drowsiness, fatigue, hemiplegia, hemiphasia, aphasia, ataxia, nystagmus, etc.

3. Symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma lung metastasis: nasopharyngeal carcinoma lung metastasis is mostly located in the middle and outer zones of the lung fields on both sides, and the chances of metastasis in the left and right lungs are equal. It is often multiple metastasis, and the lesions are round with smooth edges.

What are the metastatic pathways of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

1. Direct spread

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma can extend upward and invade and destroy the skull base bones, with the foramen ovale being the most common site. In the late stage, it can destroy the sella turcica and invade the II to VI cranial nerves through the foramen rupture, causing corresponding symptoms.

2. Lymphatic metastasis

The nasopharyngeal mucosal lamina propria is rich in lymphatic vessels, so nasopharyngeal carcinoma can metastasize to the lymph nodes. About half of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients come to the hospital because of swollen cervical lymph nodes. It first metastasizes to the posterior pharyngeal wall lymph nodes, then to the deep neck and other cervical lymph nodes, and rarely to the superficial cervical lymph nodes.

3. Hematogenous metastasis

In the late stage, nasopharyngeal carcinoma often metastasizes to the liver, lungs, bones, followed by the kidneys, adrenal glands, and pancreas. When these organs are uncomfortable, the possibility of cancer metastasis needs to be considered.