Topographic Distribution of Metastases of Unknown Origin

Abstract

Introduction: The metastasis of unknown origin is clinical entity relatively common, which represents 5% of all invasive cancer. The research of the primary origin could be difficult because of its atypical pattern, instead that, the undifferentiated adenocarcinoma and carcinoma represents 75% , being adenocarcinoma the most complicated to diagnoses the primary origin because of their unspecific characteristic cytological/histological. For this reason is necessary to identify the primary origin of the metastatic lesion with unknown origin in patients with or without personal oncological background, sex and age with higher
prevalence.

Methods: Observational, descriptive- retrospective investigation that used the collection 100 patients with histopathologic diagnoses carcinoma/adenocarcinoma metastatic in the Anatomy Pathologic Department of ION-SOLCA period 2013-2015, with and without personal oncological background.

Results: Sample of 91 patients, in 69 of them were the most frequently metastatic location was superior cervical ganglion (27%), liver (13%), bone and omentum (9%). Furthermore, 69 patients were possible to identify the primary origin of the metastatic lesion.

Conclusions: The metastatic location of the neoplasm unknown primary such as superior cervical ganglion and liver are the places more common, being superior cervical ganglion with most accessibility for biopsies. The neoplasm unknown primary is more frequently in female sex and has a high incidence at the ages of 61-70 years.