Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 18 - a2163
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1388907

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Rare Case of Amygdala Metastasis

Caroline Fernandes Rimoli 1, Angelo Sementilli 1, Carla Graciliano Arguello Nunes 1, Luis Alan Cardoso de Melo 1, Regina Helena Garcia Martins 1, Thaís Gomes Abrahão Elias 1
  • 1Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumors in head and neck are extremely rare. Most cases represent metastasis from primary tumors in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs.

Objective: The aim of this study is to report a rare case of metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in tonsil.

Resumed Report: We present a rare case of a patient with ulcerative lesion in the amygdala and cervical nodes who underwent neck dissection and tonsil surgery to clarify the diagnosis. Histopathology (H & E) and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed neuroendocrine carcinoma of palatine tonsil. The patient had reported a previous surgery for removal of skin tumor in the abdominal region, with a diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma. This information guided the research Cytokeratin immunohistochemistry for 20, confirming the tonsil metastasis of primary tumor.

Conclusion: We present a rare case of metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in tonsil from a primary carcinoma of the skin (Merkel cell carcinoma).The case reported alert us to the possibility of distant metastases in neuroendocrine tumors.

Keywords: Neuroendocrine tumors, head and neck, metastasis, amygdala.