Synchronous malignancies involving the oropharynx and thyroid gland are rare. We report the case of a 52-year-old female diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with a concurrent, clinically occult papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The patient initially presented with HPV-associated OPSCC and concerns for cervical lymphadenopathy, presumed to be linked to regional metastasis from the oropharyngeal primary. However, further pathological evaluation revealed that one of the metastatic lymph nodes within the same cervical level originated from an undiagnosed PTC. This report highlights the need for careful pathological evaluation and consideration of multiple primary tumors in patients presenting with cervical lymph node metastases.
Tai et al. (Mon,) studied this question.