Gallbladder carcinoma

Although it is the most common cancer of the biliary tree, gallbladder carcinoma remains an uncommon disease. As a result, many clinicians rarely encounter it and there is uncertainty regarding proper management. Resection is the most effective and only potentially curative treatment. Early stage tumors are often curable with a proper resection; however, many patients present late in the course of the disease when surgical intervention is no longer effective. While other treatment modalities are used in patients with advanced disease, there is limited data on efficacy. In many cases, the diagnosis is made after a cholecystectomy has been performed and an incidental tumor is identified in the specimen. In such cases, reoperation and definitive resection is appropriate and effective for patients with invasive lesions.     

Renal cell carcinoma presenting as epistaxis

A case of renal cell carcinoma presenting as a nosebleed of three-week duration is described. Light microscopy of a nasal lesion showed a richly vascular tumor, forming glands and uniformly consisting of clear cells. Cytochemically and ultrastructurally, the presence of abundant lipid droplets and glycogen within the neoplastic cells indicated a renal origin. An extended clinical search for a primary kidney tumor was undertaken in view of a negative intravenous tomographic pyelography and renal scan findings. An angiogram finally revealed an intrarenal mass which was proven pathologically as a renal cell carcinoma.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as bone metastasis

In a consecutive series of 395 patients with pathologically verified hepatocellular carcinoma, 20 patients (5%) had bone metastasis at initial presentation. Of these, 16 were men and four women ranging from 26 to 64 years of age (median, 50 years). The age, sex, hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity, alpha-fetoprotein level, and frequency of associated cirrhosis were not statistically different from those in patients without initial bone metastasis. Initial presentation was usually the result of spinal lesion with neurologic compression, and chest wall or scalp mass. Metastasis most commonly involved spine and ribs, and occurred as osteolytic lesions or extrapleural mass. Computed tomography proved best for demonstrating an expansile soft tissue mass with bony destruction. Angiography showed hypervascular appearance over the destructive bone area. Treatment results were poor. The follow-up period ranged from 3 weeks to 14 months with a median survival of 5 months. The data suggested that hepatocellular carcinoma be ruled out in patients with osteolytic lesions.     

Squamous cell carcinoma presenting as subcutaneous nodules

Four patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) presenting as subcutaneous nodules of the head were referred for Mohs micrographic surgery. In each case initial histologic sections showed no connection between the tumor and epidermis, raising the possibility that each was a metastasis from an occult SCC. Careful searches for occult SCCs were unrevealing. Subsequent step sections through the entire tumors revealed narrow connections to the overlying epidermis in three of the four cases.     

Tracheal carcinoma presenting as a thyroid tumor

Direct invasion of the trachea by an aggressive tumor originating in the thyroid gland is an unusual but well-documented phenomenon. The reverse situation, that is, a primary tracheal neoplasm invading by direct extension into the thyroid gland and presenting as a thyroid mass is apparently an even less common occurrence. A careful search of the literature has failed to reveal any recorded instances of this type of occurrence. We report a case of an adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the trachea and invading the thyroid gland and recurrent laryngeal nerves causing vocal cord paralysis. The presentation of this lesion as a primary thyroid tumor is an unusual occurrence that serves to remind the clinician that in the differential diagnosis of thyroid masses one must include the possibilities of metastases or direct extension of a primary neoplasm from another organ.     

Occult breast carcinoma presenting as axillary metastases

PURPOSE: Breast carcinoma presenting with axillary lymphadenopathy and no clinical or radiological evidence of a primary tumor is a rare presentation. We aimed to examine the management of the breast by observation, radiation therapy, or mastectomy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Departmental records from 1979 to 1996 of unknown primary presentations and cases of T0N1-2M0 breast carcinoma were reviewed to find cases of occult breast carcinoma presenting as axillary lymphadenopathy with no clinical or imaging evidence of a primary tumor. RESULTS: There were 6047 presentations of breast carcinoma with 20 cases of occult breast carcinoma meeting the criteria. The breast was treated by observation in 6 cases, mastectomy in 2 cases, and radiotherapy to the intact breast in 12 cases. Eighty-three percent of patients (5 of 6 patients) who had observation of the breast had a local recurrence, compared to 25% who had radiotherapy to the intact breast (3 of 12 patients) and 0% who had a mastectomy (0 of 2 patients). The median recurrence-free survival was 7 months in patients who had observation of the breast, compared to 182 months in patients who had local treatment. Three of the 6 patients who underwent breast observation have died whereas 1 of the 14 who had local treatment have died, with a mean follow-up of 73 months. It was found that patients having observation of the breast had a poorer recurrence-free survival (p = 0.003) and overall survival (p = 0.05) compared to those having local treatment of the breast. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with such a presentation should have a complete physical examination, mammography, ultrasound, and MRI of the breasts. If there remains no evidence of a primary tumor, an axillary dissection should be carried out and the breast treated by radiotherapy or mastectomy. Observation of the breast is not a recommended option.     

Renal cell carcinoma presenting as skeletal muscle mass

Solitary muscle tumor, representing the first manifestation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, is rare. A case report of a tumor mass in the left posteromedial arm, which proved to be metastatic from the right kidney, is presented. The incidence of this condition among patients presenting as a soft tissue sarcoma may be about 1%.     

Silent colon carcinoma presenting as a hepatic abscess

Penetration and abscess formation in an adjacent parenchymal organ as presentation of a colon cancer is very uncommon. We report a rare case of pyogenic liver abscess as the first manifestation of an infiltrative and penetrating hepatic flexure colon carcinoma without liver metastases. A 50-year-old woman was admitted with right abdominal pain, fever and chills. The initial diagnosis was a pyogenic liver abscess. Subsequent CT scan and colonoscopy evidenced a hepatic flexure colon cancer abscessed within segment 6 of the liver. Eight months after a right colectomy and liver resection there was no evidence of disease. The occurrence of a pyogenic liver abscess should raise the suspicion of a silent colon cancer.     

Metastatic breast carcinoma presenting as persistent diarrhea.

Patients with breast carcinoma metastatic to the colon generally present with multiple symptoms, usually pain, vomiting, nausea, and ascites. We describe a patient who presented only with persistent diarrhea, underwent surgery for colon cancer, and, on pathological evaluation of the surgical specimen, was found to have metastatic breast cancer affecting the colon. Metastatic breast cancer should therefore be suspected in patients with a history of breast cancer and diarrhea of unknown cause that is not accompanied by other symptoms. Evaluating such patients by colonoscopy and biopsy would provide important information relevant to choosing between colon surgery and systemic therapy.     

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma presenting as Gradenigo’s syndrome

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma usually has an insidious onset and non-specific features in the initial stages. This makes early diagnosis difficult. The most usual presenting features are cervical lymphadenopathy, otological symptoms (serous otitis media) and involvement of adjacent cranial nerves. We report a case of Gradenigo’s syndrome in a patient of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.     

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma presenting as shoulder arthritis

Three patients with previously undiagnosed renal cell carcinoma presented with complaints of shoulder pain secondary to tumor metastases involving the clavicle or upper humerus. In two patients, bone scintigraphy and/or gallium scintigraphy demonstrated the primary renal lesion. One patient had been treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and intra-articular steroid injections for presumed arthritis before the cause of the symptoms was recognized. Review of the literature reveals that renal cell carcinoma frequently metastasizes to bones of the shoulder girdle, and that presenting complaints may relate to osseous metastases. Careful evaluation should be carried out before patients with shoulder pain are treated for presumed arthritis.     

Adrenal carcinoma presenting as a lesion resembling cutaneous angiosarcoma

A case is reported of adrenal carcinoma presenting as an angiosarcoma-like metastasis in the scalp. Adrenal carcinoma is a rare tumor, and it metastasizes to skin rarely. The authors discuss the features of this tumor that led to a diagnosis of angiosarcoma and the means by which such a metastasis may be distinguished from vascular tumors.     

Renal cell carcinoma presenting as a single large cyst

A large single renal cyst occurring in a 56-year-old man was found to be a cystic renal cell carcinoma on surgical exploration. Various diagnostic tests preoperatively did not reveal the true nature of the cyst.     

Severe pericarditis as a presenting sign of bronchogenic carcinoma

An exudative pericarditis was the only sign of an adenocarcinoma arising from the right main bronchus of the lung for two and a half months. No metastases were found at the time of diagnosis. Pericarditis relapsed quickly after repeated pericardiocenteses, and systemic chemotherapy did not influence its course. Cardiac tamponade caused the death of the patient.     

Trismus as a presenting symptom in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Trismus is a more common symptom in NPC patients with young age and an indicator of advanced primary tumour. Overall response rate after treatment was 88%. Trismus recovered in majority of patients at the end of treatment and patients with complete recovery of trismus may have a better survival.