Stomal seeding of head and neck cancer by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement.
BACKGROUND
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes have replaced nasogastric tubes and Stamm gastrostomy tubes as a preferred means of feeding for patients with head and neck cancers, as recommended by the results of large series. A patient with stomal seeding of squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract by PEG placement was reported. A review of literature was performed.


METHODS
A Medline search of implantation of squamous cell carcinoma from the upper aerodigestive tract to PEG exit site since the introduction of PEG was performed.


RESULTS
Two reports of implantation of squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract to PEG exit site were found. Both patients and our patient were staged T4.


CONCLUSIONS
Implantation of squamous cell carcinoma from the upper aerodigestive tract to the PEG exit site is a rare and late complication. Its prevalence is not known. For patients with a significant amount of squamous cell carcinoma in the upper aerodigestive tract, we recommend Stamm gastrostomy over PEG insertion by the pull technique. There is no report of such late complication by the push technique.
Lee
D S
DS
Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark 07103-2714, USA.
Mohit-Tabatabai
M A
MA
Rush
B F
BF
Levine
C
C
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*