Morphologic and classificatory considerations about 140 cases of carcinoma of the nasopharynx

The morphologic aspects are reported for 140 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma collected from a retrospective review of malignant tumors of this region. Of 97 cases of undifferentiated carcinomas of nasopharyngeal type, 63 were composed of solid cords of epithelial cells (Régaud type), 22 showed isolated cells in a lymphoid stroma (Schmincke type), and in 12 the neoplastic cells were aligned with a fibrosarcoma-like aspect (spindle-cell type). The 36 cases of squamous cell carcinoma showed various degrees of differentiation. Of the remaining 7 cases, 3 were transitional cell carcinomas, 1 was an adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 3 were unclassifiable carcinomas. The undifferentiated carcinoma was present in all ages, with a male : female rate of 1.27 : 1. The squamous cell carcinomas were prevalent in males (3.5 : 1) and older patients. The 10-year survival rate was 30% in the group of patients with undifferentiated carcinoma, whereas patients with squamous cell carcinoma died within 4 years of the diagnosis.