A case of palatine tonsillar metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma: A CARE-compliant article

RATIONALE: Palatine tonsil is an extremely rare site for metastatic disease, accounting for 0.8% of malignant tonsillar neoplasms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of metastatic adenocarcinoma in the tonsil treated with wide excision and targeted therapy, with no local recurrence 6 months postoperatively. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 75-year-old man presented hemoptysis and mild productive cough for 2 weeks. DIAGNOSES: Palatine tonsil metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma, pT2bN0M1b, stage IVA, was confirmed. INTERVENTIONS: Wide excision of primary lung tumor and metastatic tonsil carcinoma has been performed, and the patient was undergoing targeted therapy with the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor afatinib. OUTCOMES: There was no local recurrence in the oropharynx 6 months postoperatively. LESSONS: We aim at highlighting the importance of a thorough evaluation for suspicion of tonsillar enlargement, which might be a sign of a primary malignancy elsewhere.