An analysis of non-head and neck primaries presenting to the neck lump clinic: our experience in two thousand nine hundred and six new patients

The Adult Neck Mass: Predictors of Malignancy

OBJECTIVE

Distinguishing benign from malignant adult neck masses can be challenging because data to guide risk assessment are lacking. We examined patients with neck masses from an integrated health system to identify patient and mass factors associated with malignancy.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

METHODS

The medical records of adults referred to otolaryngology in 2017 for a neck mass were evaluated. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Malignancy was found in 205 (5.0%) of the cohort's 4103 patients. Patient factors associated with malignancy included sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Males had more than twice the odds of malignancy compared with females (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.38). Malignancy rates increased with age, ranging from 2.1% for patients younger than 40 years to 8.4% for patients 70 years or older. White non-Hispanic patients had 1.75 times the risk of malignancy compared with patients of other race/ethnicities. The percentage of patients with malignancy increased with increasing minimum mass dimension, from 3.0% in patients with mass size <1 cm to over 31% in patients with mass sizes 2 cm or larger (P < .0001). Imaging-based mass factors most highly predictive of malignancy included larger minimum mass dimension (≥1.5 cm vs <1.5 cm: aOR = 3.87), multiple masses (2 or more vs 1: aOR = 5.07), and heterogeneous/ill-defined quality (aOR = 2.57).

CONCLUSION

Most neck masses referred to otolaryngology were not malignant. Increasing age, male sex, white non-Hispanic ethnicity, increasing minimum mass dimension, multiple neck masses, or heterogeneous architecture/ill-defined borders were associated with malignancy.

Head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary

In adult cervicofacial pathology, carcinoma of unknown primary is defined as lymph-node metastasis the anatomic origin of which is not known at the time of initial management. It constitutes up to 5% of head and neck cancers. Presentation may suggest benign pathology, delaying and confusing oncologic treatment. Diagnostic strategy in cervical lymph node with suspicion of neoplasia requires exhaustive work-up to diagnose malignancy and, in 45% to 80% of cases, depending on the series, to identify the primary site. Histologic types comprise squamous cell carcinoma, thyroid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma. Association is sometimes found with human papilloma virus or Epstein Barr virus, guiding treatment. The objective of the present study was to provide clinicians with the necessary diagnostic tools, based on the current state of clinical, imaging and pathologic knowledge, and to detail treatment options.

Osteoma of the hyoid: an unusual cause of a neck lump

A 65-year-old man with a 2-month history of left-sided neck swelling presented through the cancer pathway. There was no associated 'red flag' symptoms, and clinical examination revealed a left anterior triangle, non-pulsatile firm swelling atypical of a lymph node. Ultrasound scan imaging confirmed a complex structure with an echogenic centre and hypoechoic periphery, which was confirmed on CT as an osteoma of the hyoid.This is an extremely unusual cause of a neck lump, and an extensive literature review revealed only two previously documented cases.

Investigation and management of the unknown primary with metastatic neck disease: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines

This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. It discusses the evidence base pertaining to the management of metastatic neck disease in the setting of an unknown primary and provides recommendations on the work up and management for this group of patients receiving cancer care.