Squamous Cell Carcinoma of an Unknown Primary Tumor Located in the Cervical Lymph Nodes

Cervical lymph node metastases of a squamous cell carcinoma from an unknownprimary tumor is a rare situation. The patient work-up includes physical examination, panendoscopy, biopsies from all suspicious sites, computed tomography (CT), and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the absence of detectable lesions, ipsilateral tonsillectomy can discover carcinoma in about 25% of the patients. Positron emission tomography (PET) can identify primary tumors in 25% of the patients and results in a change in treatment strategy in 24% to 53% of the patients. These results still require a confirmation.