Gastric adenocarcinoma with tonsil and submaxillary gland metastases: case report

Local invasion, hematogenous and lymphatic metastases are the major modes of spreading gastric cancer. The most common sites of metastases in patients with gastric cancer are liver, peritoneum, omentum, lungs and mesentery. Of the two pathological types of gastric cancer, intestinal-type gastric cancer showed preferential metastasis to the liver, whereas the diffuse-type showed a preference for peritoneal involvement and lymph node metastasis. However, metastases of gastric cancer to the head and neck regions are not common. The hematogenous route appears to account for a great majority of metastases to the head and neck regions. Malignant neoplasm metastases to major salivary glands or tonsils are not common. Several patients with cancers from the infraclavicular area have been reported with parotid gland or tonsil metastases. However, metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma to the tonsils or submandibular glands is rare. We present a patient with recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma with both tonsil and submandibular gland metastases which is even rarer.