A soft-tissue metastasis in neck: An unusual presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in young adult

Abstract

There is an alarming increase in the incidence of both oral and base of the tongue squamous cell carcinoma during the past decades, especially in women and younger patients without the traditional risk factors of alcohol or tobacco use. Locoregional spread of tumor via lymphatics to submandibular and jugulodigastric lymph nodes is common. Soft-tissue metastasis (STM) in the neck of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma is very rare and represents nonnodal-based metastasis. It has a significant adverse impact on the survival of patients. STM in the neck as a presenting symptom of oral tongue carcinoma is very unusual and extremely rare.