A Simultaneous Presentation of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Latent Cervical Tuberculosis: Insights into a Complex Case

• Published in: Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 3; p. 357
• Main Authors: Barcan, Ingrid-Denisa, Closca, Raluca Maria, Rakitovan, Marina, Banta, Andreea-Mihaela, Zara, Flavia, Dema, Sorin Adalbert, Virzob, Claudia Raluca Balasa, Horhat, Ioana Delia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.02.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Antigens; B cells; Biopsy; Cancer; Carcinoma; Case Report; cervical tuberculosis; Chemotherapy; Cytokeratin; Dermatology; Development and progression; Disease susceptibility; Endoscopy; Epstein-Barr virus; Global health; Health aspects; Human papillomavirus; Infections; Inflammation; Local anesthesia; lymph node tuberculosis; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Oncology; Otolaryngology; Proteins; Radiation therapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tuberculosis; Romania; lymph node tuberculosis; cervical tuberculosis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• ISSN: 2075-4418; 2075-4418
• DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15030357

Background and Clinical Significance: Tuberculosis infection triggers a chronic inflammatory response that can create a favorable environment for the development of cancer cells. Chronic inflammation can lead to DNA damage, increased cell proliferation, and impaired immune surveillance. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an aggressive malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis, despite the current oncology therapy. Case Presentation: The case presents following clinical, imaging, and histopathological aspects, as well as the oncological follow-up of the patient over a period of 8 years. Results: This paper presents the case of a 49-year-old patient diagnosed with cervical lymph node tuberculosis while biopsied for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastases. Conclusions: The overlap of this malignancy with an infection of mycobacterial etiology complicates the outcome of the disease even more, making treatment and prognosis difficult.