This article desribes the ophthalmic involvement in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) pre- and post-treatment. We retrospectively reviewed data for 354 consecutive patients diagnosed with or treated for NPC at a single tertiary centre between April 2007 and July 2015. We identified 27 (7.6%) patients with ophthalmic involvement due to NPC or its treatment. Symptomatic orbital invasion by tumor occurred in 13 of 27 patients (48.1%). The mean age of diagnosis in these patients was 54 years, and 8 (61.5%) had no prior diagnosis of NPC. Ocular signs, but no orbital invasion, was present in 8 patients (29.6%). Incidental orbital involvement was detected on imaging in 2 patients (7.4%). Radiotherapy-related ocular complications affected 4 patients (14.8%). Ophthalmic symptoms from orbital invasion can be the initial presentation of NPC. This disease tends to affect a younger group of patients and early recognition is important to minimize morbidity and mortality.
Keywords: Cancer epidemiology; cranial nerve palsy; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; orbit; radiotherapy.