Metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to the brain.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the natural history of patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) of the head and neck to the brain.


METHODS
A retrospective review of patients with brain metastases treated over a 20-year period identified five that had a head and neck SCCA primary.


RESULTS
Five cases of patients with SCCA of the head and neck that developed brain metastases are presented in detail.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with aggressive disease, large infiltrative lesions, and in late survivors with initially advanced disease, metastasis to the brain should be considered. Perineural metastasis appears to be the most common mode of spread of head and neck SCCA to the brain. Pain, paresis, or paresthesias in the distribution of cranial nerves or other neurological symptoms should alert the otolaryngologist to neural or central nervous system involvement in patients with SCCA of the head and neck. Surgery with or without post-operative whole brain radiation therapy is the mainstay of treatment in most patients. Stereotactic radiosurgery may play a major role in treating brain metastases from head and neck primary tumors.
Djalilian
Hamid R
HR
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Tekin
Muhammet
M
Hall
Walter A
WA
Adams
George L
GL
D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010291:Paresis / Q000503:physiopathology; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000503:physiopathology; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed