Histiocytic sarcoma of the base of tongue treated with radical radiotherapy: A case report and review of the literature

A case of primary histiocytic sarcoma arising from a neck lymph node

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is an aggressive and rare hematological malignancy. Its treatment has not been established, and most patients die within 2 years of diagnosis. Resection can provide a favorable prognosis for solitary lesions. We present the case of an 80-year-old Japanese man with HS. He presented a history of a slow-growing painless mass in the lower part of his right jaw. Ultrasonography showed a swollen lymph node in the vicinity of the right submandibular gland. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a heterogeneous, low-contrast mass on the right of the neck. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneously enhanced mass in gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. The fine needle biopsy showed spindle-shaped cells and HS was suspected. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography revealed uptake by the tumor alone. The patient underwent right upper neck dissection and resection of the submandibular salivary glands. No postoperative adjuvant treatment was administered, but 2-year survival was achieved. Histopathological examination showed proliferation of large, pleomorphic atypical cells without differentiation into lymphocytes, which proved their differentiation into histiocytes. A bone marrow biopsy showed no evidence of monocytic leukemia. Thus, a diagnosis of HS was made. With local treatment alone, our patient achieved long-term survival, maintaining his quality of life.

Giant pleomorphic sarcoma of the tongue base - a cured clinical case report and literature review

Pleomorphic sarcoma of the tongue base is an extremely rare pathology finding. Our review of current databases returned fewer than 10 articles available free full text on this subject. We review the current state of art management guidelines for this type of tumor. Our case presented surprisingly a favorable evolution despite the huge dimensions, the tumor type, and associated pathology. The patient received radiation therapy and oncological treatment followed by revision surgery consisting of partial glossectomy for the residual tumor. Histological examination of the operatory specimen showed a residual tumor of pleomorphic sarcoma type, with clear margins. The evolution was without relapse after 18 months.