Cerebellopontine angle involvement by nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: This article describes a series of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma involvement of the cerebellopontine angle and discusses the clinical significance of this entity. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case study. PATIENTS: Patients who were diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with clinical features of cerebellopontine involvement by tumor. INTERVENTIONS: Cerebellopontine involvement by tumor confirmed by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or both. RESULTS: Patients with this entity either had advanced disease or had been treated previously for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. They had varied clinical features attributable to cerebellopontine involvement, such as sensorineural deafness, dizziness, facial palsy, and facial numbness. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellopontine angle involvement by nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a difficult entity, both from the diagnostic and therapeutic points of view. In high-risk patients, particularly in patients who were previously treated for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a high index of suspicion for nasopharyngeal carcinoma involvement of the cerebellopontine angle is warranted when they experience unexplained neurootologic symptoms such as sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness and facial palsy.