HPV16-Positive Pelvic Nodal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with No Detectable Cervical Malignancy

TL;DR

A rare case of HPV16-positive pelvic lymph node cancer with no cervical tumor is described, highlighting the importance of molecular and anatomical clues in diagnosis.

Contribution

The case demonstrates how HPV16 detection in the cervix can indicate a regressed primary tumor, guiding treatment and diagnosis in isolated nodal metastasis.

Findings

HPV16 was detected in the cervix with a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, suggesting a regressed primary tumor.

The patient remained disease-free for 56 months after chemoradiotherapy.

Integration of lymphatic anatomy and molecular profiling aids in diagnosing rare cases of isolated nodal metastasis.

Abstract

Isolated pelvic nodal metastasis from carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) is rare. Evaluation should prioritize gynecological and anorectal sites based on pelvic lymphatic drainage. Although spontaneous regression of these primary lesions is exceptional, regressed lesions can present as CUP, necessitating diagnostic caution. Here, we report the case of a 40-year-old woman with a solitary, intensely fluorodeoxyglucose F-18 avid left obturator lymph node and a subtle endocervical abnormality on pelvic magnetic resonance imaging. Loop electrosurgical excision revealed a Nabothian cyst only. Excisional nodal biopsy by polymerase chain reaction revealed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma with diffuse block-type p16 and human papillomavirus (HPV) 16. Considering the potential for a primary cervical tumor along the obturator drainage pathway, the patient underwent hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. No residual invasive carcinoma was found; however, HPV16 was detected in the cervix with a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, supporting a regressed cervical focus. She received adjuvant cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy and has remained disease-free for 56 months. This case highlights the diagnostic value of integrating lymphatic anatomy with the molecular profile of HPV. Cervical squamous cell carcinoma rarely regresses and presents solely as an isolated nodal disease.

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