Skull Base Regeneration During Treatment With Chemoradiation for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Case Report

Advanced cases of nasopharyngal carcinoma can present with skull base invasion. Treatment of these advanced cases with radiotherapy poses a challenge given proximity of tumor to critical neural structures as well as concern that a skull base defect and associated complications could develop with tumor regression.

A 34-year-old male patient presented with a 7-cm nasopharyngeal tumor invading the skull base with destruction of the clivus and intracranial extension. He underwent a course of definitive chemoradiation, requiring use of adaptive radiotherapy, that resulted in complete tumor regression and is free of disease 5 years posttreatment. Imaging done during treatment demonstrated that significant regeneration of bone occurred simultaneously with tumor regression.

This case demonstrates that it is possible for bony regeneration to occur simultaneously with tumor regression in a patient with skull base invasion by tumor, precluding the need for neurosurgical intervention.