Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) secondary to mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is extremely rare, difficult to diagnose in the pre-symptomatic phase, and is rapidly fatal. We describe two cases of fatal PLC secondary to squamous cell carcinoma in whom a review of pre-treatment imaging (computed tomography of the chest) changes reported as unspecific were retrospectively felt to be consistent with pre-symptomatic PLC. Case 1, a 73-year-old male with T2N2bMx poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, died 6 weeks after chemoradiotherapy with curative intent. Case 2, a 65-year-old female with T4aN2bMx of the right body of the mandible, died within 6 weeks of radical surgery including free tissue transfer. A review of the literature showed that PLC secondary to HNSCC occurs in an older cohort of patients: mean age 69 years vs. other tumour groups 50 years. PLC secondary to HNSCC can behave in distinctly different ways, demonstrating similarity to either gastric adenocarcinoma or bronchogenic squamous cell carcinomas.