International Journal of Head and Neck Surgery

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VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 4 ( October-December, 2022 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

Carcinosarcoma of Head and Neck: A Rare Case Report

Renuka Verma, Niti Dalal, Monika Dhankher, Deepshikha Rana, Sunita Singh

Keywords : Carcinosarcoma, Head and neck, Immunohistochemistry, Squamous cell carcinoma, Spindle cell tumors

Citation Information : Verma R, Dalal N, Dhankher M, Rana D, Singh S. Carcinosarcoma of Head and Neck: A Rare Case Report. Int J Head Neck Surg 2022; 13 (4):102-103.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10001-1540

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 21-01-2023

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2022; The Author(s).


Abstract

Background: Carcinosarcoma of the head and neck is a rare diagnostic entity constituting <1% of head and neck mucosal tumors. It most commonly occurs in the 6th and 7th decades of life with male predominance. Methods: We, herein, present a case of a 72-year-old male who presented with swelling on the right side of his neck for 5–6 months. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan and computerized tomography (CT) scan were done, which showed a metabolically active tumor with enlarged necrotic level III right cervical lymph nodes. Results: On fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was made, followed by which modified radical neck dissection (MRND) was performed. On the basis of morphology and immunohistochemical (IHC) findings, a diagnosis of carcinosarcoma was given. Conclusion: Diagnosis of carcinosarcoma on core biopsy is quite challenging due to its overlapping features with spindle cell tumors.


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