Abstract
The histological findings in a series of 37 salvage neck dissections from patients who had an oral or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma managed initially by primary surgery with or without neck dissection, and without postoperative radiotherapy, are described. None of the cases had an intraoral relapse. Pathological stage N2 or N3 disease was seen in 87% of the 15 salvage dissections from ‘wait and watch’ necks, 100% of the 10 salvage dissections of contralateral necks and 50% of the 12 salvage dissections of operated necks. The typical ‘inverted-cone’ pattern of metastasis was seen in 87% of ‘wait and watch’ necks. Skip or non-contiguous metastases to level III/IV accounted for relapse in 30% of the contralateral and 66% of the operated necks. The median time interval between original surgery and the salvage neck dissection was 15 months (range 1–48 months). In at least 15% of cases, the short time interval coupled with the histopathological features suggested that the metastatic disease suddenly became more rapidly progressive following removal of the primary tumour.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.