Background & objective: Nasopharyngeal necrosis is an unusual sequelae after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). It is mostly managed by conservative treatment, but the efficacy is unsatisfied. This study was to investigate the efficacy of endoscopy-guided debridement on irradiation-related nasopharyngeal necrosis in NPC patients after radiotherapy.
Methods: Between Jul. 2006 and Mar. 2007, 20 NPC patients with irradiation-related nasopharyngeal necrosis after radiotherapy were treated with endoscopy-guided debridement and systemic anti-inflammatory treatment in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University. The short-term outcomes were analyzed. RESULTES: Nasopharyngeal necrosis was cured in 5 patients. Clinical symptoms such as foul odor, headache, and hemorrhage were alleviated in 12 patients. Three patients died of nasopharyngeal massive hemorrhage within 1 year although their clinical symptoms were alleviated.
Conclusion: Endoscopy-guided debridement is effective in treating irradiation-related nasopharyngeal necrosis, but the prognosis of the NPC patients with severe nasopharyngeal necrosis and internal carotid artery involvement is relatively poor.