Case ReportUndifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the neck - A case report

•Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma is extremely rare in the neck region.•Despite the availability of imaging modalities that suggest otherwise, clinical examination remains crucial in identifying malignancy in the neck.•A multidisciplinary approach is needed to obtain clear surgical margins due to the proximity of neurovascular structures.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma very rarely affect the neck. We report a case of a 62 year old man who presented with a right sided skin lump which he noticed after sustaining a neck contusion in a road traffic accident about one year ago. The initial CT and ultrasound scans of the lump were suggestive of a thrombosed varix. Clinical examination showed a hard skin nodule with signs of tethering. He underwent a wide excision of the skin nodule and the histology showed undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma with margins involved. He subsequently underwent another re-excision of margins and pectoralis major flap reconstruction. Following surgery, he was also prescribed adjuvant radiotherapy and he remains well about 12 months after follow up. The surgical management of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma in the neck is challenging due to the proximity of critical neck structures and the need to obtain clear margins. Thus, adjuvant radiotherapy is often used to improve disease control.