Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus to the submandibular gland—the imaging and pathological features of a rare phenomenon

Metastatic disease affecting the submandibular gland is a rare entity, with just over a 100 cases documented. We present the case of a 55-year-old female with an apparently operable oesophageal primary adenocarcinoma, who was identified on staging PET scan and confirmed on ultrasound-guided biopsy to have metastatic disease in her left submandibular gland. The imaging and pathological findings are presented and compared with the current body of literature. Previously recognized primary sites of metastasis include the breast, thyroid, lung and genitourinary organs. We believe this to be the first documented case of oesophageal adenocarcinoma metastasising to the submandibular gland.