A Simultaneous Presentation of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Latent Cervical Tuberculosis: Insights into a Complex Case.

Tuberculosis infection triggers a chronic inflammatory response that can create a favorable environment for the development of cancer cells. Chronic inflammation can lead to DNA damage, increased cell proliferation, and impaired immune surveillance. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an aggressive malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis, despite the current oncology therapy. The case presents following clinical, imaging, and histopathological aspects, as well as the oncological follow-up of the patient over a period of 8 years. This paper presents the case of a 49-year-old patient diagnosed with cervical lymph node tuberculosis while biopsied for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastases. The overlap of this malignancy with an infection of mycobacterial etiology complicates the outcome of the disease even more, making treatment and prognosis difficult.