Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: the role of magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis, staging, treatment, and follow-up.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct entity from pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa). Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has a unique histological appearance; has different inciting factors to SCCa; and has unique familial, genetic, and geographic predispositions. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma also has a different pathological behavior to pharyngeal SCCa, with a tendency for clival invasion, intracranial spread, and early systemic metastasis. In keeping with this distinct pathological behavior, NPC has particular imaging manifestations and staging criteria that differ significantly from pharyngeal SCCa. These features are typically much better evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging than with computed tomography. This article presents the current clinical and epidemiological background of NPC with specific reference to the role of magnetic resonance imaging in all stages of patient management, from diagnosis and staging of NPC to the role of the radiologist in treatment planning and follow-up imaging evaluation.