Ming-Chen Tsai1, Yu-Chi Shu1, Chia-Chen Hsu1, Chih-Kung Lin2,3, Jih-Chin Lee4, Yueng-Hsiang Chu4, Wen-Yen Huang5,6. 1. Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Department of Pathology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. 6. Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Biopsy of the retropharyngeal node is not routinely accessible. The diagnosis of retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is often based on an imaging study. METHODS: We reported a patient with NPC who was incorrectly diagnosed with left retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence by both MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. RESULTS: A woman who was treated for stage IVA NPC 2 years previously was found to have a nodal lesion in the left retropharyngeal space on MRI together with focal fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on PET/CT. Locoregional recurrence was suspected, and surgery was performed. Subsequent pathology results showed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: Although tissue biopsy for the retropharyngeal node is technically difficult, this case demonstrates that tumor recurrence cannot be diagnosed even based on both positive findings on MRI and PET/CT in patients with NPC.
BACKGROUND: Biopsy of the retropharyngeal node is not routinely accessible. The diagnosis of retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is often based on an imaging study. METHODS: We reported a patient with NPC who was incorrectly diagnosed with left retropharyngeal lymph node recurrence by both MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. RESULTS: A woman who was treated for stage IVANPC 2 years previously was found to have a nodal lesion in the left retropharyngeal space on MRI together with focal fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on PET/CT. Locoregional recurrence was suspected, and surgery was performed. Subsequent pathology results showed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: Although tissue biopsy for the retropharyngeal node is technically difficult, this case demonstrates that tumor recurrence cannot be diagnosed even based on both positive findings on MRI and PET/CT in patients with NPC.