Neurological complications in patients with malignant tumors of the nasopharynx

Of 150 new cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosed in Israel during a 9-year period (nationwide study 1960--1968), 74 patients developed neurological complications. In 92% of the cases, neurologic deficits were confined exclusively to cranial nerves. The majority of these patients presented general symptoms of disease such as neck masses, head and facial pain, or nasal and aural disorders. In 23 patients (34%), the initial presentation was of neurologic disability. The most frequently affected nerves were the abducens and the trigeminal. In the fully developed clinical picture, ocular and trigeminal lesions predominated. 5-year survival in patients with cranial nerve involvement was 21% as compared to 55% in those without such lesions. Survival was not influenced by delayed diagnosis.