PRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA

Vol. 99  No. 12  December  2006

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasized to 
Palatine Tonsil: A Case Report

Yutomo Seino
(Yamato City Hospital)

Meijin Nakayama, Masahiko Takeda, Daimon Hashimoto, 
Shunsuke Miyamoto and Makito Okamoto
(Kitasato University School of Medicine)

Kazuo Yao
(Yokohama Clinic of Kanagawa Dental University)

   We experienced a case of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasized to the palatine tonsil. The patient was a 55-year-old man. His chief complaint was pharyngeal discomfort. An exophytic tumorous mass was found occupying the left palatine tonsil. We conducted a biopsy. The pathology was not squamous cell carcinoma nor malignant lymphoma, therefore, we conducted various immunostainings. It was finally diagnosed as metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma. Subsequent examinations identified that the tumor had invaded the entire liver. This tumor is likely to metastasize through the hematogenous pathway. In general, metastasis to the head and neck region from any systemic primary tumor indicates a poor prognosis. However, treatment options should not be excluded, especially if the QOL of the patient can be improved.

Key words :hepatocellular carcinoma, palatine tonsil, metastasis

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