Concurrent malakoplakia of cervical lymph nodes and prostatic adenocarcinoma with bony metastasis: case report

SummaryAn unusual case of malakoplakia of the cervical lymph nodes in a patient with bony metastasis from prostrate cancer is reported. An 80-year-old patient with metastatic prostatic cancer presented with bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy, and a hard cervical mass in the left supraclavicular region. Biopsy of the lymph gland revealed the presence of malakoplakia, with no evidence of metastatic prostatic carcinoma. Though co-existence of malakoplakia and adenocarcinoma within the prostrate gland has been reported before, this case is unique, as it highlights the rare occurrence of malakoplakia involving distant nodes in a patient with bony metastatic prostate cancer. This report reflects the fact that things are not always what they seem in medicine, and not infrequently we come across a different pathology which mimics another.