[Nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cervical masses].

Objective: To study the clinical characteristic of cervical metastatic lymph nodes in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the relation between NPC and cervical masses.

Method: The clinical material of 246 cases with NPC was analyzed retrospectively.

Result: One hundred and eighty-three of 246 cases suffered from cervical masses and 101 cases began with them. In all cases, 134 cases had cervical masses on the same lateral of lesion, 44 cases on both sides, and others on the opposite sides. In 172 cases, the masses were found to be the involved superior deep cervical lymph nodes. There was no remarkable difference between the NPC with cervical masses and without cervical masses in EBV VCA-IgA and EA-IgA titers. Large masses were relative to metastases.

Conclusion: Superior deep cervical lymph nodes were involved in most of the patients with NPC, usually on the same lateral of lesion. The EBV titers were not relative to cervical masses. Distant metastases were more likely to be detected in patients with large masses.