Primary nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma: A CARE-compliant case report

RATIONALE: Primary nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma is a rare nasopharyngeal neoplasm with a good prognosis and a low propensity for regional recurrence. To date, only few cases of primary nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma have been reported in the literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 24-year-old female patient presented with intermittent hemoptysis and blood tinge nasal discharge. DIAGNOSIS: An exophytic and pedunculated mass over the roof of the nasopharynx was found on nasopharyngoscope. Biopsy was done and the pathology confirmed well-differentiated primary nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma, strongly positive for CK7, and transcription termination factor 1; but negative for thyroglobulin. The final diagnosis was primary nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma, well-differentiated, pT1N0M0, stage I. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent excision of nasopharyngeal tumor under sinuscopic assistance. OUTCOMES: : No local recurrence or distant metastasis was noted during the 6 months of follow-up. LESSONS: We aim at highlighting the importance of a thorough differential diagnosis of nasopharyngeal tumor. Further investigation is still needed for providing evidence to standardize the treatment protocol.