Nasopharyngeal mass: a manifestation of inflammatory otologic disease

A nasopharyngeal mass with cranial neuropathies usually indicates an advanced neoplastic process. We present three patients with these findings and concurrent invasive Pseudomonas otitis in whom repeated nasopharyngeal biopsies were negative for tumor. All of the nasopharyngeal masses resolved following treatment of the otitis. Mechanisms of disease spread from the temporal bone to the nasopharynx are discussed. Clinicians may choose to modify diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the nasopharyngeal mass in patients with concurrent invasive otologic disease.