Narrow-band imaging for detecting early recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background. Detection of early recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is clinically challenging. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is powerful in detecting early superficial lesions in the head and neck, although the utility of NBI in detecting nasopharyngeal cancer is still unknown. Methods and Results. We describe a case of a 51-year-old man with early recurrent NPC detected in subclinical stage by NBI coupled with conventional endoscopy. MRI revealed no obvious bulging or inward invasion over the nasopharynx. Because of superficial, localized recurrence, we performed laser nasopharyngectomy and his postoperation course was uneventful. Conclusions. We demonstrated that postirradiated NPC in a patient with early recurrence was successfully detected by NBI coupled with conventional endoscopy. NBI endoscopy is a simple, convenient, and reliable tool, and adds additional value to detect local recurrence in the early phase. It may serve as an ideal tool in posttreatment surveillance in a patient with NPC.