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. 1987 Jul;69(4):181–184.

The management of a neck mass: presenting feature of an asymptomatic head and neck primary malignancy?

M Barakat, L M Flood, V H Oswal, R W Ruckley
PMCID: PMC2498463  PMID: 3631877

Abstract

Malignancy of the upper aerodigestive tract is not always associated with obvious localizing symptoms. Presentation may then only be prompted by the appearance of a hard mass in the neck, a metastasis to a cervical lymph node. Neck exploration without a prior diligent search for an occult head and neck primary tumour is to be avoided as it compromises subsequent treatment. The diagnostic investigation of 112 patients complaining solely of a painless and enlarging neck swelling is reviewed. An otolaryngologic examination identified an asymptomatic malignancy of the head and neck in 72 patients (64%). Excision biopsy of the neck mass was required to achieve a diagnosis in only 29 (29%) of those patients who had not already undergone surgery. These results are presented to emphasize the need for a specialist examination of the head and neck prior to embarking on excision of any suspicious neck mass.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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