Clinics in diagnostic imaging (90). Childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma

An 11-year-old boy presented with a nasopharyngeal mass that was thought to represent a juvenile angiofibroma based on the initial clinical and radiological evaluation. Partial tumour resection was performed. Resected specimen revealed histological diagnosis of undifferentiated carcinoma. Further evaluation of the tumour including MR imaging, radioisotope bone scan, CT thorax and abdomen were performed. Differential diagnoses of childhood nasopharyngeal masses were discussed. The differences between childhood NPC and adult NPC, rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant lymphoma and juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma were also discussed.