Clinico-pathological Profile of Head and Neck Tumours with Intracranial Extension.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial extensions of Head and Neck region tumours are a result of direct spread, into the brain and meninges, of tumours arising in the pharynx, paranasal sinuses, orbit, middle ear, scalp, skull and neck tissues. Presenting features may resemble those of an intracranial mass, or the contiguous structure of origin, or both. Delayed diagnosis is not uncommon when patients are not able to afford diagnostic imaging or when the possibility of an intracranial extension is not readily considered in the evaluation of patients with head and neck lesions.

AIM: To highlight the important histologic entities in the head and neck region presenting as intracranial mass lesions.

METHODS: This was a retrospective database study of tumours in the head and neck region with extension into the cranial cavity.

RESULTS: We present 13 patients with intracranial extension of tumours from contiguous structures. There were 7 males and 6 females. Age ranged from 16 to 80 years. Mean age of the patients was 48.92 ± 19.13 years. Specific histologic entities included: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma, amongst others CONCLUSION: Early and accurate diagnosis requires a raised awareness of tumours in the head and neck region; their likelihood to invade the cranial cavity; and a familiarity with the likely presentation. Multidisciplinary approach is needed when clinical and radiological features are suggestive of mass lesions breaching the skull and invading the brain from adjacent structures. Confirmation of clinical suspicion by histology is essential.