Abstract
Metastasis to the lateral retropharyngeal lymph node, which is the Rouviere node (RN), is frequently observed in naso and hypopharyngeal carcinomas but rarely in oral carcinoma. We report a case of metastasis to RN from upper gingival carcinoma detected by headache.
A 76-year-old male visited us with the complaint of contact pain of the right upper gingiva. A biopsy was performed, and the lesions were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. On CT examination there was no metastasis to the cervical lymph node and other regions, so a partial maxillectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed. Nine months after the operation, the patient complained of a headache. RN metastasis on the right side was detected by CT scan, and radiotherapy was performed to RN and the neck area. The tumor reduced temporarily and the headache disappeared, but he died 9 months after metastasis was first discovered.
