Unknown primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: Diagnosis and treatment
Samuel Trosman MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorDeborah Chute MD
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorBenjamin Wood MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Eric Lamarre MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Corresponding author: E. Lamarre, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44195. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorSamuel Trosman MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorDeborah Chute MD
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorBenjamin Wood MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Eric Lamarre MD
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
Corresponding author: E. Lamarre, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44195. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Background
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary gland tumor. The majority of MECs occur in major or intraoral minor salivary glands. Herein, we present a case of MEC metastatic to cervical lymph nodes with an unknown primary site and discuss diagnostic and treatment options.
Methods and Results
The patient was a 43-year-old man who presented with a large right-sided neck mass. Excisional biopsy demonstrated MEC involving multiple lymph nodes. Subsequent positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and multiple biopsies of potential primary sites failed to localize the primary tumor. The patient was treated with radiation to the ipsilateral neck and parotid/submandibular glands and has no evidence of disease 1 year after completion of treatment.
Conclusion
MEC presenting as cervical lymph node metastasis with an undiagnosed primary site is extremely rare. We report results of our literature review and provide a rationale for our experience in treating unknown primary MEC. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: E22-E25, 2015
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