title: [Squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin affecting mediastinal lymph nodes].
abstract: A 65-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film. Chest CT scans showed enlargement of the right mediastinal lymph nodes. However, no primary lesion was detected despite thorough examination. Mediastinoscopic biopsy revealed that the tumor was a lymph-node metastatic lesion of a squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin. A thoracotomy was done and the mass was completely resected. Radiotherapy was given after the operation. We have followed the patient for 1 year since the operation, but no primary lesion has yet been detected. Metastasis of cancer of unknown origin to hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes is extremely rare, and only 6 cases have been reported previously in the Japanese medical literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tsukuba University Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yodonawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akaogi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onizuka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008482:Mediastinum; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary