Abstract
IntroductionNasopharyngeal cancer commonly manifests with cervical lymphadenopathy, recurrent epistaxis and progressive nasal obstruction. Neuro-ophthalmic and otologic manifestations can also occur. Isolated otologic presentations of nasopharyngeal cancer are rare and the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer may not be foremost in the list of differentials.Case presentationWe present the case of a 29-year-old Nigerian woman with bilateral conductive hearing loss and tinnitus after air travel. There were no other symptoms. The persistence of the symptoms after adequate treatment for otitic barotrauma necessitated re-evaluation, which led to a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer.ConclusionIsolated otologic manifestations of nasopharyngeal cancer are rare in regions with low incidence of the disease. There is a need for it to be considered as a possible differential in patients presenting with bilateral serous otitis media.
Highlights
Nasopharyngeal cancer commonly manifests with cervical lymphadenopathy, recurrent epistaxis and progressive nasal obstruction
Isolated otologic manifestations of nasopharyngeal cancer are rare in regions with low incidence of the disease
There is a need for it to be considered as a possible differential in patients presenting with bilateral serous otitis media
Summary
The clinical presentations of nasopharyngeal cancer may sometimes be insidious and nonspecific. The otological manifestations of this disease entity are commonly unilateral Eustachian tube dysfunction, fluid accumulation within the middle ear, conductive hearing loss, otalgia and tinnitus [2]. These presentations are not pathognomonic of nasopharyngeal cancer. Case presentation A 29-year-old Nigerian woman, who frequently travels by air, presented with a six-month history of persistent bilateral hearing impairment following a flight She erstwhile had experienced repeated episodes of this symptom, which occurred each time she flew, but there was always complete resolution after a few days following treatment from an outside health facility. The hearing loss improved after commencement of chemoradiation; a pure tone audiogram thereafter showed socially adequate hearing thresholds in most frequencies (Figure 1B)
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