ABSTRACT
In about 25-30% of patients with primary renal cell carcinoma, metastasis is not uncommon and usually does not give rise to difficulties in diagnosis. However, its presentation as a subcutaneous mass following an elapse of several years after the initial diagnosis is not only uncommon but may be also mistaken for a thrombus in imaging studies due to its common high vascularization. We present here a case of a 70-year-old woman with an oncologic history of renal cell carcinoma who noticed after five years a mass in the auricular region radiologically suggestive of a vascular thrombus. Fine-needle aspiration cytology showed malignant epithelial cells compatible with metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma, supported by immunohistochemistry performed on the cell block. This rather uncommon presentation and precise diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration prompted us to report the case, emphasizing the role of cytopathology as a useful, fast and minimally invasive method for clarifying the neoplastic nature of highly vascularized lesions.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology , Ear Neoplasms/secondary , Kidney Neoplasms/pathology , Thrombosis/pathology , Aged , Diagnosis, Differential , Ear Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Female , Humans , Thrombosis/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Las metástasis de neoplasias primarias de diferentes localizaciones a cabeza y cuello son un hecho infrecuente. La localización más habitual de recepción de dichas metástasis es el hueso temporal, sitio que usualmente es afectado por neoplasias que se diseminan a los huesos en general. Sin embargo, las neoplasias al conducto auditivo externo son muy raras, habiéndose publicado pocos casos en la literatura . Presentamos el caso de un varón de 81 años con clínica de dolor, acúfenos y otorrea derecha. La otomicroscopía demostró una lesión polipoide en el conducto auditivo extemo derecho. La biopsia objetivó una proliferación de células epiteliales atípicas que formaban luces glandulares anómalas con positividad para citoqueratina 20 y antígeno carcinoembrionario. Se diagnosticó como metástasis de adenocarcinoma de probable origen colónico y posteriormente se conocieron antecedentes de colectomía 9 años antes por adenocarcinoma de recto-sigma. Las metástasis de adenocarcinoma de colon al conducto auditivo externo son un hecho infrecuente y de aparición tardía. Requieren un diagnóstico diferencial con metástasis de adenocarcinomas de otras localizaciones y, en menor medida debido a su baja frecuencia, con tumores primarios. Entre estos últimos, los que plantean mayores dificultades diagnósticas son los adenocarcinomas ceruminosos.
Metastasis to the head and neck region are unusual. The most common site of receiving those metastasis is the temporal bone, a site which is usually affected by tumors that spread to the bones. However, metástasis to the external auditory canal are infrequent. Only a few cases have been published in the literature. We report the case of a 81 year-old man with pain, tinnitus and right otorrhea. The otomicroscopy showed a polypoid lesion in the right ear canal. The biopsy showed an atypical proliferation of epitelial cells forming anomalous glands, which were positive for citoqueratine 20 and carcinoembryonic antigen. He was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of colon-rectum nine years previously Metastasis of colon adenocarcinomas to the external auditory canal are infrequent. Require a defferential diagnosis with metastatic adenocarcinomas of others locations but is always necessary to rule outprimary tumors. Among these, the most challenging diagnostic is with ceruminous adenocarcinomas.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged, 80 and over , Adenocarcinoma/secondary , Ear Canal , Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Ear Neoplasms/secondary , Adenocarcinoma/surgery , Ear Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
A case of metastasis of breast adenocarcinoma into the internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) is presented, which appeared 16 years after primary tumor had been treated by surgery and radiation therapy. The 66-year old patient was considered cured from the primary disease, when she started with a rapidly developing hearing loss and intermittent facial palsy. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) displayed an intra- and extracanalicular tumor mass, which radiologically resembled a vestibular schwannoma. Surgery was performed and histopathological studies showed an adenocarcinoma compatible with breast origin. Metastasis is a rare occurrence within the IAC and CPA. Clinical history of severe facial palsy will rise suspicion of malignant tumor in spite of the radiological findings.