Sphenoid sinus mucocoele and cranial nerve palsies in a patient with a history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: May mimic local recurrence

We report the case history of a patient with a sphenoid sinus mucocoele det ected by computed tomography and medical resonance imaging. The patient had a history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which was treated by radiotherapy m ore than 10 years previously. He presented with bilateral twelfth and sixth cranial nerve palsies. Local tumour recurrence was suspected. Further inve stigations showed that the cranial nerve palsies were caused by radiation d amage and the sphenoid sinus mucocoele was an incidental finding. Sphenoid sinus mucocoele is a possible rare late complication of radiotherapy in pat ients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.