Recent data and significance of intracisternal tubular inclusions in human and animal cells.

In 24 out of 60 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) the cells were shown to contain a tubulo-reticular network in the dilated cisternae of the ergastoplasm which corresponds to the entity described previously as "intracisternal-tubular inclusion" (ITI). The significance of such inclusions is discussed in different pathological conditions and the literature is reviewed. This is the first report of such inclusions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.