Metastasis from tongue squamous cell carcinoma to the kidney

Metastasis to the kidney from other primary sites is extremely rare. Previous studies reported the lung as the most common primary site. Distant metastasis from the tongue to the kidney is exceedingly rare. Herein, we describe a case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to the kidney in a 71-year-old male with a detailed discussion of differentiating it from potential mimickers. The patient underwent a total glossectomy and bilateral cervical lymph node dissection. A diagnosis of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was rendered and the tumor was staged pT3 pN3b. Within two years of initial presentation, the patient developed widely metastatic disease, including pulmonary nodules, renal masses, left adrenal mass, and pancreatic mass. Accurate diagnosis of a secondary involvement of the kidney by a metastatic tumor requires the appropriate correlation of clinical and imaging findings as well as morphologic and immunohistochemical clues.