Nasopharyngeal Obstruction Identified on Routine Airway Evaluation

A 14-year-old male with no significant medical history was referred for routine airway evaluation. Upon review, the radiologist identified a large soft tissue lesion occluding the entirety of the nasopharynx. Given the patient's age, the differential included a combination of tonsillar hypertrophy and nasal turbinate hypertrophy or polyps, as well as a nasopharyngeal tumor. The patient was promptly referred to an ENT for further evaluation and management. The radiologist noted that identifying and addressing the lesion will enable the patient to breathe through the nasopharynx again and may help prevent the growth of a potential tumor in a young patient.