Management of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, from diagnosis to potential complications.

Locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) presents substantial challenges in clinical management so that a multimodal approach is needed. Endoscopic endonasal approach has been reported in the early 2000s as a potential treatment for selected and, nowadays, endoscopic nasopharyngectomy is regarded as the preferred option for resectable locally recurrent NPC

An italian multicenter retrospective review of patients with recurrent NPC, treated with pure endoscopic approach in tertiary referral center.

We report an analysis of the algorithm used to reach the relapse diagnosis, how patients selection was performed, oncological results and complications related to the treatments and their management. A particular emphasis is placed upon carotid artery preoperative management and skull base osteomyelitis as a possible post-operative complication.

Recurrent NPS is a challenging disease. Only a proper patients selection and a 360° patients management is necessary to achieve optimal oncological outcomes