Four synchronous cancers in a patient with tongue pain as the only symptom

Synchronous carcinomas may be present in up to 6% of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and thus may represent a significant factor in the disease burden. This case report illustrates the importance of a thorough examination of these patients. This patient presented with three synchronous squamous cell carcinomas, two in the tongue and one in the aryepiglottic fold. Positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT) was required for the detection of the carcinomas as the initial MRI and CT scans were inconclusive due to artefacts. Furthermore, PET-CT also revealed increased metabolic activity in the lymph nodes of the neck, which subsequently led to detection of a low-grade follicular lymphoma in addition to the squamous cell carcinomas. These findings support a generous use of PET-CT in patients with HNSCC, at least in those with obvious risk factors.

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