Ocular lesions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a malignant tumor that occurs in the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Most patients have squamous cell carcinomas that originate from the epithelium, while a small number of cases have adenoid cystic carcinomas, malignant mixed tumors, mucoepidermoid carcinomas, etc. of the submucosal minor salivary glands. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a highly invasive tumor that invades deep structures in the early stages. Late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma often invades the optic nerve near the optic chiasm, causing decreased vision, nasal or temporal hemianopsia, and blindness in one or both eyes. Fundus examination reveals optic atrophy. The most common age is 30 to 50 years old, and it is more common in men, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1.