Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma to the inguinal lymph nodes from an unknown primary: A case report

Ghassan Almaimani

doi:10.5348/ijcri-201748-cr-10787

Abstract

Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma to the inguinal lymph nodes from an unknown primary: A case report

Highlights

The carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is uncommon in the inguinal region, accounting for 1–3% of all CUPs
Histopathological examination of the biopsy and resection specimens revealed transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) but no primary site was identified despite thorough clinical and radiological evaluation. This is the first reported case of pure TCC of the inguinal lymph nodes presenting as a CUP
There are no clear guidelines for the management of such patients, treatment must be multimodal and might include surgical resection and perhaps postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy to achieve optimal outcomes

Summary

Introduction

The carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is uncommon in the inguinal region, accounting for 1–3% of all CUPs. The diagnostic workup for CUP includes histopathological examination, imaging and, more recently, molecular testing. Histopathological examination of the biopsy and resection specimens revealed transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) but no primary site was identified despite thorough clinical and radiological evaluation. Conclusion: This is the first reported case of pure TCC of the inguinal lymph nodes presenting as a CUP. This may have occurred either from an unidentifiable primary lesion or the primary may have since regressed. Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma to the inguinal lymph nodes from an unknown primary: A case report.

INTRODUCTION

Findings

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION