Local radiotherapy can improve obstructive jaundice caused by metastatic hepatic hilar lymph nodes in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A case report

Obstructive jaundice is a rare complication of metastatic nasophayngeal carcinoma (NPC). The effect of local radiotherapy (RT) has been rarely reported. The authors report a 52-year-old female treated with curative radiotherapy for a T2aN1 NPC who developed liver and hepatic hilar lymph node (HHLN) metastasis 34 months after initial therapy. Obstructive jaundice occurred 2 months after the disclosure of HHLN metastasis. Since endo-nasal biliary drainage (ENBD) and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and drainage (PTCD) were both unsuccessful, local RT 30.4 Gy in fractions of 1.6 Gy was given. The obstructive jaundice was markedly improved until her death 3 months after RT. Only common toxicity criteria (CTC) grade I nausea was noted during RT. This report revealed that local RT could be a helpful choice in treating obstructive jaundice due to metastatic HHLN in patients with NPC. © 2002, Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. All rights reserved.