title: Unusual primary tumors presenting as papillary carcinomas metastatic to the neck.
abstract: The presence of a metastatic papillary carcinoma in the neck is presumptive evidence of a primary thyroid neoplasm since neck metastases of other primary tumors are uncommon. Immunohistochemical studies may be required to diagnose these metastases. We report 2 cases in which an unrelated tumor mimicked a thyroid malignancy. Both patients had been referred for evaluation of enlarged lymph neck nodes without any other symptoms. In both cases, a lymph node biopsy identified a metastatic papillary adenocarcinoma that was believed to be consistent with a thyroid primary. Thyroidectomy was not performed in either case. Further investigations led to the diagnosis of other primary tumors that were unrelated to the thyroid; the unrelated primaries were an ovarian serous tumor in one patient and a papillary renal cell carcinoma in the other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institut Universitaire du Cancer, Avenue Hubert Curien, 31100 Toulouse, France. Dupret-Bories.Agnes@iuct-oncopole.fr.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dupret-Bories
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilt
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kennel
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charpiot
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rodier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000556:secondary*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis