OP186: Clinico-pathological study on occult cervical lymph node metastasis in oral tongue carcinoma

Abstract

Purpose To predict indicators of occult cervical lymph node metastasis, we evaluated clinico-pathological findings in N0 cases of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Method We reviewed the record of 227 patients with the controlled primary tongue lesion who were treated between April 2001 and March 2011 in our department. All patients had a glossectomy alone. Cervical lymph node metastasis subsequently developed in 34 patients. Occult cervical lymph node metastasis was analyzed in relation to T-stage, location of the tumor, growth patterns, depth of invasion, and histological malignant score proposed by Anneroth, 1987 (degree of keratinization, nuclear polymorphism, number of mitosis, pattern of invasion, depth of invasion, and lymph-plasmocytic infiltration). Results Occult cervical lymph node metastasis was significantly correlated with growth patterns, degree of keratinization, number of mitosis, pattern of invasion, and depth of invasion. All occult cervical lymph node metastasis developed in patients with muscle invasion. The patients with absence of muscle invasion had not cervical lymph node metastasis. However, the depth of muscle invasion did not correlate with occult cervical lymph node metastasis among the patients with muscle invasion. Conclusion These findings suggest that occult cervical lymph node metastasis correlate with growth patterns, degree of keratinization, number of mitosis, pattern of invasion, and depth of invasion in oral tongue carcinoma. In regard to depth of invasion, the depth of muscle invasion did not correlate to occult cervical lymph node metastasis.