Metastatic Tumors from Unknown Primary in Cervical Lymph Nodes: A Decade of Study in a Tertiary Care Center of a Resource-Limited Country.

[INTRODUCTION] Cervical lymphadenopathy may be the first clinical manifestation of an occult primary tumor, and it is a crucial area of investigation due to its significance in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This study aimed to establish the spectrum of malignancies metastasizing to cervical lymph nodes of unknown primary origin and to analyze their distribution by age, sex, and nodal site.

[METHODS] A retrospective descriptive study was conducted over a decade (2015 - 2024 AD) in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH). All the cases of metastatic tumors in cervical lymph nodes with unknown primary origin were included.

[RESULTS] A total of 174 cases were studied. Age of patient ranges from 5 years to 90 years, with a mean age of 58±17.3 years. There were 12 (6.89%) lung cancer and 9 (5.17%) thyroid cancer as primary site. On histological examination, there were 44 (25.28%) adenocarcinoma and 25 (14.36%) squamous cell carcinoma.

[CONCLUSIONS] Lung cancer was more common followed by thyroid and adenocarcinoma was the most common histological findings. The supraclavicular lymph node was most often involved in this study.