Pathologic Evaluation of Routine Nasopharynx Punch Biopsy in the Adult Population: Is It Really Necessary?

OBJECTIVES To retrospectively evaluate the patients who underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy with imaging and biopsy results, who have or don't have symptoms for nasopharyngeal pathology and to determine the ratio of the nasopharyngeal cancer cases and other pathologic conditions. METHODS In this retrospective study, 983 patients who underwent endoscopic nasopharyngeal biopsy for symptomatic nasopharyngeal lesions were included. All pathological results, benign or malign was recorded and classified due to the patients' presenting symptoms such as symptomatic for nasopharyngeal pathology or asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports were also recorded separately as group A for malignancy or group B for not malignancy. RESULTS Forty-five (4.6%) of 983 biopsies were malignant. In this group, there is no statistically significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic group. For malignant pathologies, the sensitivity of MRI was found 88.2% and CT was 61.5%. CONCLUSION For early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer, all patients admitted to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) referral clinics should be examined endoscopically irrespective of their complaints and suspicious cases should be investigated by imaging especially by MRI. If MRI report clearly indicates Thornwaldt cyst or reactive lymphoid hyperplasia and this result is compatible with endoscopic findings, biopsy may not be necessary. Apart from these cases, all suspected lesions should be biopsied.