Abstract
Background. Only 2 cases of lung cancer with epipharyngeal metastasis have been reported in Japan. Lung cancer metastasizes to the epipharynx extremely rarely. Case. An 81-year-old woman with a past history of large cell carcinoma of the lung presented with nasal obstruction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass in the epipharynx and a bulky tumor covered with necrotic tissue was found by nasopharyngoscopy. The histology of the epipharyngeal tumor was the same as that of the primary lung cancer. A diagnosis of lung cancer with epipharyngeal metastasis was given. Local radiation therapy dramatically improved symptoms. Conclusion. We reported an extremely rare case of epipharyngeal metastasis from lung cancer 22 months after diagnosis of the primary lesion. Systemic chemotherapy with local control is preferable unless the patient's condition deteriorates.
