Cutaneous Metastasis From Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Report and Review of the Literature

Tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma, which represents 10% of head and neck malignancies, rarely manifests with cutaneous metastases; to date, only three prior patients with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma have been reported to develop cutaneous metastases. We describe the clinical features of a 59-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil who developed cutaneous metastases within his prior radiation port and review the literature of prior patients with cutaneous metastases from tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. The PubMed database was searched for the following keywords: carcinoma, cutaneous, metastasis, squamous, and tonsil. The papers generated by the search and their references were reviewed. Cutaneous metastasis from tonsillar cancer is rare but should be considered in patients with a history of a squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil; new skin lesions, both overlying the visceral malignancy and at more distant sites, should be biopsied since prognosis in these patients is poor. Management has thus far been palliative and should be individualized to the patient.