Nancy Fischbein
Publication Details
-
The "small, dark tonsil" in patients presenting with metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from an unknown primary.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2005; (2): 411-3
When squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) involves the palatine tonsils, they are generally enlarged and demonstrate intermediate to high signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images and enhance after gadolinium administration. We have identified two patients with SCC of the tonsil where the affected tonsil has low signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images and is smaller than the contralateral normal tonsil. We present the "small, dark tonsil" as an alternative imaging presentation of SCC and a new sign to look for when evaluating the patient with metastatic lymphadenopathy from an unknown primary tumor.
