Resumen

BAUTISTA-LOPEZ, FJ; SEGURA-GONZALEZ, M; MEDINA-ESCOBEDO, G  y  PAREDES-CASANOVA, DC. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: behavior of internist facing a case of cervical lymphadenopathy with suspected malignancy. Med. interna Méx. [online]. 2017, vol.33, n.2, pp.246-253. ISSN 0186-4866.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous cell tumor that usually develops around the lateral wall of the nasopharynx near the Eustachian tube ostium. Overall it is a rare cause of cancer worldwide, although it has a high frequency in some endemic regions of Southeast Asia and Alaska. In Mexico, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is not listed among the 20 leading causes of cancer in the country. The etiology of NPC has been linked mainly to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but also involves genetic, racial, environmental and dietary risk factors. The clinical presentation is non-specific and this can be misleading to the primary care physician. The most common symptomatic presentation is cervical lymphadenopathy, which can be bilateral and voluminous up to 50% of patients. This paper reports the case of a 70 year-old man diagnosed with NPC, who was admitted in the internal medicine ward because of bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy, and a multidisciplinary approach was required to establish the final diagnosis.

Palabras llave : nasopharyngeal carcinoma; cervical lymphadenopathy; diagnostic approach.