Ear and nose symptoms, headache, facial numbness, diplopia and neck lump are the most common symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Due to the different conditions of primary site, size, extranodal invasion and metastatic site of cancer, there can be different degrees of clinical manifestations.
1.Clinical manifestations caused by primary carcinoma 1.Aspirated blood: It is one of the early manifestations of exophytic lesions of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and 70% of patients have this symptom at the time of diagnosis. 2.Tinnitus and hearing loss: 80% of patients have this symptom at the time of diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is easily misdiagnosed as otitis media and treated by aspiration of middle ear fluid. In serious cases, perforation of the periosteum and overflow from the ear canal may occur. 3. Nasal congestion: It is caused by blocking the nasal cavity of the posterior nostril after the tumor grows gradually. 40% of the patients have this symptom when diagnosed.
4.Headache: 50-70% of patients have headache at the time of diagnosis, mostly manifested as persistent migraine with one side being heavy, and the location and severity of headache are related to the location and degree of lesion invasion.
5.Facial numbness: This is a superficial sensory abnormality caused by trigeminal nerve invasion or compression, including ankylosis, tactile allergy and numbness in the trigeminal nerve distribution area.
6. Diplopia and ocular manifestations: caused by tumor invasion of orbit, skull base and cavernous sinus.
7. Difficulty in opening mouth: caused by tumor invasion of internal and external pterygoid muscles and pterygopalatine fossa.
Clinical manifestations caused by lymph node metastasis: unilateral or bilateral cervical lymph node enlargement, accounting for 40-50% of symptoms at the time of initial diagnosis.