A common symptom with an uncommon diagnosis

Abstract

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the uncommon tumours and the most difficult tumour to diagnose at an earlier stage due to the clandestine and deceptive nature. The incidence is more common in men with a peak incidence of 50 to 60 years. The suspicion of tumour at the earliest stage is very helpful in reducing morbidity and mortality. Case presentation A 45-year-old female presented with right hemi cranial headache for 2years without any comorbidities for that she consulted many hospitals and got symptomatic and empherical treatment in which her symptoms resolved temporarily and recurred. We did diagnostic nasal endoscopy and found a smooth globular mass in the right nasopharynx with contrast enhanced computerised tomography mass extending into the muscle plane which was found with the confirmation of diagnosis as undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma by histopathological examination and treated accordingly. Conclusion Although the diagnosis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the earlier stage is difficult, it is an imperative one because the prognosis depends upon the stage of the disease in which it has been diagnosed. The clinicians always should have a suspicion of the rare disease for a day-to-day unresolved symptom, because the earlier diagnosis and appropriate management helps in the prevention of the life-threatening complications of any disease.

Keywords

• Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• Undifferentiated carcinoma
• Headache
• Medial pterygoid plate