Concurrent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Incidental Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Metastasis in Cervical Lymph Nodes: A Case Report

TL;DR

A 48-year-old woman had two cancers, one in her mouth and one in her thyroid, both spreading to the same neck lymph nodes.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare concurrent metastasis of OSCC and PTC to cervical lymph nodes.

Findings

The patient had OSCC in the mandibular region and undetected PTC with metastasis to cervical lymph nodes.

Concurrent metastasis of OSCC and PTC in cervical lymph nodes is a rare clinical occurrence.

The case emphasizes the importance of thorough lymph node examination during neck dissection.

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common of all head and neck cancers accounting for 90% of all oral malignancies. It is commonly associated with the use of tobacco smoking or quid form. The incidence of oral carcinoma is higher in males than females with a ratio of 1.4:1, though females commonly adopt tobacco quid chewing habit. OSCC metastasis to cervical lymph node at the rate of 20-42.6% according to studies reported so far. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) occurs with a higher incidence in females than males with metastasis into cervical lymph nodes though the primary lesion frequently goes undetected. Concurrent metastasis of OSCC and PTC to the cervical lymph node during neck dissection has been reported rarely in the literature. This case report presents a 48-year-old female with lymph node metastasis of carcinoma of the right mandibular posterior alveolar region concurrently with metastasis of PTC (with primary lesion clinically undetected) encountered during cervical lymph node examination.

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