Nasopharyngeal Lipoma Anterior to the Eustachian Tube Orifice: A Case Report

Nasopharyngeal lipoma is a rare benign tumor, with only a small number of cases reported in the English-language literature. We present the case of a 43-year-old woman in whom nasal endoscopy incidentally identified a 1.5-cm pedunculated mass immediately anterior to the left Eustachian tube orifice. Computed tomography showed a well-circumscribed, homogeneous lesion with fat attenuation. Although these imaging findings strongly supported the diagnosis of conventional lipoma, complete endoscopic excision was performed to obtain definitive histologic confirmation because the lesion was small, pedunculated, and readily accessible for complete removal. Histopathologic examination confirmed conventional lipoma, with no nuclear atypia or lipoblasts, and the patient had no evidence of recurrence at 12 months. This case describes a nasopharyngeal lipoma arising at an uncommon anatomic site immediately anterior to the Eustachian tube orifice and suggests that limited posterior inferior turbinectomy can facilitate safe endoscopic access in selected cases.