Abstract
Although it is rare in other parts of world, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in certain regions, especially in Southeast Asia. The incidence is 30-80 of 100,000 people per year in Southern China (Muir et al. 1987). Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has a higher incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis compared with other head and neck cancers. There is a well-developed network of lymphatics in the nasopharynx (Sham et al. 1990). The retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) is regarded as the most common lymph node involved in NPC (King et al. 2000a). Retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) are divided into medial and lateral groups (Rouviere, 1938). The lateral nodes lie lateral to the pharyngeal constrictors and medial to the internal carotid artery. The medial group lies along or near the midline, directly posterior to the upper pharynx. RLNs are not amenable to evaluation using manual palpation. Consequently, the diagnosis of enlarged RLNs in patients with NPC is made on the basis of imaging examinations, such as x-ray computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Published Version
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