Vol.99 No.12 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 99 No. 12 December 2006
Epithelial-Myoepithelial Carcinoma Arising from
the Nasopharynx
Tetsu Iwanaga, Noriyuki Sakihama, Fujinobu Tanaka,
Chiharu Kihara, Motoyasu Katsura, Mitsuru Dotsu,
Naoe Kinoshita, Tomayoshi Hayashi and Haruo Takahashi
(Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences)
Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC) accounts for approximately 1％ of all salivary gland tumors. EMC mainly involves the major salivary glands, especially the parotid gland. We report a case of EMC arising from the nasopharyx. A 62-year-old woman complained of an unusual sensation in her throat. Fiberscopic examination revealed a yellowish smooth surface mass which originated from the right nasopharynx. Before surgery, we performed a biopsy and pathological diagnosis suggested the possibility of malignancy. We planned surgical resection through the nasal and oral cavity. Under general anesthesia, the tumor was resected using surgical instruments for endoscopic sinus surgery and tonsillectomy. The tumor was completely excised. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination revealed that the inner cells differentiated to the ductal epithelium and outer cells to the myoepithelium. Consequently, we diagnosed epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma. Six months after surgery, she is following an uneventful course.
Key words : epithelial-myoeithelial carcinoma, nasopharynx, surgery