A rare case and literature review of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the tongue

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumours are rare and have been reported to arise in a number of structures within the head and neck. We present the case of a 55-year-old lady who presented a T1-N2-M0 neuroendocrine tumour of the tongue and right level 2A lymphadenopathy. The patient underwent a partial right-sided glossectomy and a modified radical neck dissection. Given the rarity of small cell neuroendocrine tumours of the tongue, there is some ambiguity with respect to classification. Treatment for neuroendocrine tumours is most effective with a multimodality approach and a poor response to chemotherapy is an important prognostic indicator. Radiotherapy, combined with chemotherapy, has shown the most promise with complete resolution of the primary tumour and metastatic disease. Due to the rarity of neuroendocrine tumours and the lack of favourable prognostic indicators, defining optimal treatment remains difficult. As a result, they continue to have a poor overall prognosis.

Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands of the Palate: Report of a Rare Case and a Review of the Literature

“…Hatoum et al reported cervical lymphadenopathy in 80% of patients at the time of diagnosis. In the present case, involvement of the cervical lymph nodes was apparent at the time of diagnosis of the tumor (8,19).…”

“…Due to the rarity of these tumors and the scant data about them, there is still controversy about the treatment regimen (3,8). The current treatment of choice for SmCC is wide local excision of the tumor and ipsilateral cervical lymphadenectomy.…”

“…Accordingly, the definitive diagnosis is made by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Currently the treatment modalities include a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy (8,9). …”

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx with metastasis to the eyelid

“…Te larynx is the most commonly afected region of the head and neck. 3,4 Nevertheless, smallcell carcinoma comprises only 0.5% of all laryngeal cancers. 5 Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx carries variable prognosis depending on the histological subtype.…”

Postradiotherapy small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of base of tongue

“…[ 2 ] The tongue is an extremely rare site for NECs with only seven cases reported in literature till date. [ 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ] However, due to the paucity of studies, no definite prognostic factors and treatment protocols are defined for these tumors in the oral cavity.…”