Metastasis to head and neck area: a 16-year retrospective study

PurposeOne of the most striking qualities of cancer is its spread throughout the body. The location of a metastatic mass may help to identify the primary tumor. Metastases to head and neck area can occur either from local structures or from distant organs.Materials and methodsThis study was a retrospective review of patients from a University Hospital in Tehran, Iran, during the period 1992 to 2008. The data were analyzed for sex, age, primary site of tumors, metastatic site, and histology of the tumors. The tumors were classified into 2 groups: intraoral and extraoral.ResultsA total of 191 cases were found; of these, 118 (62%) were men and 73 (38%) were women. The most common intraoral primary site was tongue (anterior and posterior parts). Thyroid gland was the most frequent primary extraoral site. The most frequent metastatic site was the lymph node, and level II most commonly involved lymph nodes, followed by level I.ConclusionMetastases are an infrequent finding in head and neck region and they may represent the initial manifestation of the disease. Diagnostic evaluation of metastatic lesion will detect the primary tumor.