Recurrent nodal metastases in the posterior triangle: implications for treatment of the atypical tumour.
We studied the incidence of recurrent nodal metastases in level V (posterior triangle) in patients who had previously had a staging or therapeutic dissection of the neck, with or without postoperative radiotherapy. Of 160 patients studied (177 neck dissections), 41 (26%) developed recurrent metastases in the neck. Four patients (3%) developed ipsilateral recurrent disease in level V. In these four patients, level III or IV lymph nodes were shown histologically to have extracapsular spread at the time of the original dissection. All four metastases were located at or just beyond the anatomical boundaries of the posterior triangle. None of the metastases at level V were from oral or oropharyngeal primary tumours.
Brennan
P A
PA
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK. peter.brennan@porthosp.nhs.uk
Hoffman
G R
GR
Mackenzie
N
N
Ethunandan
M
M
Boote
D J
DJ
Mellor
T K
TK
Davis
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies