Rare Case of Tongue Metastasis From Lung Adenocarcinoma, With White Coating Appearance

TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case of lung cancer spreading to the tongue, with a unique white coating appearance.

Contribution

The novelty lies in the unique macroscopic finding of a white coating on the tongue due to metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma.

Findings

Tongue metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma is rare but should be considered in lung cancer patients.

The white coating on the tongue was likely due to ulceration from the metastasis.

The case highlights the variable gross appearance of tongue metastases.

Abstract

Tongue metastasis from other organs is rare, especially from lung cancer. However, in lung cancer cases, the tongue should be considered as a potential site for distant spread.

We present a rare case of tongue metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma. Our patient first presented a very unique macroscopic finding of white coating on the tongue with tongue metastasis from lung cancer. The gross appearance of tongue metastases may vary from ulcerated to polypoid, suggesting that the white coating in our patient was due to ulceration. Tongue metastasis should be considered as a potential site of distant spread in patients with lung cancer.

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