How to effectively diagnose nasopharyngeal carcinoma? Nasopharyngeal cancer is one of the highly prevalent malignant tumors in China, and the incidence rate is the first among otorhinolaryngological malignant tumors. For the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer, early detection and early diagnosis are most important. Generally speaking, nasopharyngoscopy, CT scan and MRI are the common methods for imaging examination of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Imaging examination of nasopharyngeal cancer: 1. Nasopharyngoscopy (1) Indirect nasopharyngoscopy requires repeated and careful search for suspicious areas. reveal the nasopharynx, and biopsy can be performed.
(2) Nasopharyngeal fiberscopy or electronic nasopharyngeal fiberscopy A flexible fiberscope with bendable optical guide. It can be introduced through the nasal cavity (after surface anesthesia), and it is the most effective modern tool to examine the nasopharynx.
2.CT scan CT scan has high resolution and can show not only the changes of superficial structure of nasopharynx, but also the infiltration of nasopharyngeal cancer into the surrounding structures and parapharyngeal space, and it also shows the bone of skull base and the invasion into the skull more clearly and accurately.
3.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) MRI has higher resolution than CT for soft tissues, and MRI can determine the location, scope and invasion of adjacent structures of the tumor. For nasopharyngeal carcinoma that recurs after radiotherapy, MRI has a unique role. It can identify tissue fibrosis and recurrent tumors after radiotherapy. Recurrent tumors appear as irregular masses and may be accompanied by invasion of adjacent bone or (and) soft tissue structures as well as lymph node enlargement. Fibrosis after radiotherapy appears as a confined thickened mass or confined irregular patchy structure with poor demarcation from adjacent tissues. On T1-weighted images, recurrent tumors and fibrotic tissues are mostly low-signal; on T2-weighted images, recurrent tumors are high-signal, while fibrotic tissues are low-signal.
The etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is still unclear, and it is generally believed that nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a polygenic genetic disease. The more certain causative factors are: EBV infection, chemical carcinogenic factors or environmental factors, genetic factors, etc. Inhaled bloody sputum is the most typical symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer patients, and tinnitus, headache, facial numbness, diplopia and neck lumps are also common symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer. If these symptoms appear, it is necessary to seek medical consultation to confirm the diagnosis in time.