Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma with Primary Site in Tonsil: Case Report

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to report a case of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with a primary site in the tonsil in a 76-year-old male patient and review the main aspects. Presentation of Case: In this study, the patient had a palpable cervical mass on the right (predominantly affecting level V) and a large primary tumor in the tonsillar site on the right, making it necessary to perform a biopsy for histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. Discussion: Primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (SNEC) are poorly differentiated neoplasms with poor prognosis and low incidence in the head and neck regions. SNEC originating in the head and neck, which have the tonsils as their primary sites, are even rarer, with only 14 cases being reported in the English literature over the last 40 years. Conclusion: Due to the scarcity of data in the literature on this pathology due to its rarity, therapeutic strategies have not yet been formulated. The clinical and imaging data in this study were essential for staging and primary site definition. Despite the favorable initial response to treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient progressed with the disease, conferring the poor prognosis expected for this type of neoplasm.