Unknown primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: diagnosis and treatment.
BACKGROUND
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant salivary gland tumor. The majority of MECs occur in major or intraoral minor salivary glands. Herein, we present a case of MEC metastatic to cervical lymph nodes with an unknown primary site and discuss diagnostic and treatment options.


RESULTS
The patient was a 43-year-old man who presented with a large right-sided neck mass. Excisional biopsy demonstrated MEC involving multiple lymph nodes. Subsequent positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and multiple biopsies of potential primary sites failed to localize the primary tumor. The patient was treated with radiation to the ipsilateral neck and parotid/submandibular glands and has no evidence of disease 1 year after completion of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
MEC presenting as cervical lymph node metastasis with an undiagnosed primary site is extremely rare. We report results of our literature review and provide a rationale for our experience in treating unknown primary MEC.
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.
Samuel
S
Trosman
Deborah
D
Chute
Benjamin
B
Wood
Eric
E
Lamarre
D000328:Adult; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*
cervical metastasis; mucoepidermoid carcinoma; positron emission tomography (PET)/CT; postoperative radiotherapy; unknown primary