1987 Volume 1987 Issue Supplement09 Pages 230-237
We report a case of neuroblastoma arising from the nasopharynx. A 15-year-old girl presented with dysphagia, neck pain, and a large mass in the right side of her neck. Clinical involvement of cranial nerves (IX, XI and XII) was noted on that side. Because her clinical conditions became rapidly worse within about two weeks of admission and she was drowsy and had cramps, emergency irradiation (total 4350 rads) was performed immediately followed combination chemotherapy of vincristine and endoxan, After these treatments, she showed transient improvement, but died six months after the onset of the disease. Results of autopsy showed the generalized metastasis in the bone marrow, skull, liver, lung, diaphragm and lymph nodes of the paratracheal and neck regions. Microscopically, the diagnosis of immature neuroblastoma was confirmed. We considered that this case was a very rare case of primary nasopharyngeal neuroblastoma, which might have originated in relation to the cervical sympathetic chain of the prevertebral region.
