Twohundredcatesofnasopharyngealcarcinoma(NPC)admittedtothisdepartmentfromFeb.1985toMay.1988wereanalysedaccordingtotheCTscanningandclinicalfindingsoftheprimarylesionspriortoradiotherapy.TheresultsshowedthatinvolvementofparapharyngealspacewasverycommoninNPC,about80%(160/200cases);particularlyunilateralorbilateralretro-styloidspaces,about69.5%(139/200cases).ItwasproposedthatpatientswithNPChadahighIncidenceofipsilateralcervicalnodemetastasis.Contralateralcervicalnodemetastasiswasrare.ThedevelopmentofcervicalnodemetastastoinNPChastwomodes:oneIsdirectInfiltrationoftheretro-styloldspacebythelesion;theotherIsalongthenasopharyngeallymphaticrete.ThedataalsoshowedthatpatientswithNPCwhopresentedsymptomsofⅨ-Ⅲcranialnerveparalysesalwayshadipsilateralorbilateralretro-styloidspaceInfiltrations.
