Epithelial malignant neoplasm arising in lateral oropharynx involving tonsillar fossa or pillars
May be referred to as tonsillar complex
Oropharyngeal subsites: Palatine tonsil, base of tongue, posterior pharyngeal wall, soft palate
IMAGING
General Features
CT Findings
MR Findings
Nuclear Medicine Findings
Ultrasonographic Findings
Imaging Recommendations
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PATHOLOGY
General Features
Staging, Grading, & Classification
Gross Pathologic & Surgical Features
Microscopic Features
CLINICAL ISSUES
Presentation
Demographics
Natural History & Prognosis
Treatment
DIAGNOSTIC CHECKLIST
Image Interpretation Pearls
Reporting Tips
Selected References
Jamal Z et al: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. StatPearls, 2021
Tham T et al: Anatomical subsite modifies survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: National Cancer Database study. 42(3):434-45, 2020
Lee B et al: Prognostic value of radiologic extranodal extension in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head and Neck. Korean J Radiol. 20(8):1266-74, 2019
Lin TA et al: Radiographic retropharyngeal lymph node involvement in HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma: patterns of involvement and impact on patient outcomes. Cancer. 125(9):1536-46, 2019
Moan JM et al: The prognostic role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET in head and neck cancer depends on HPV status. Radiother Oncol. 140:54-61, 2019
Rassy E et al: Comprehensive management of HPV-related squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck of unknown primary. Head Neck. 41(10):3700-11, 2019
Rulach R et al: 12 week PET-CT has low positive predictive value for nodal residual disease in human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancers. Oral Oncol. 97:76-81, 2019
Choi YJ et al: Histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficients for occult tonsil cancer in patients with cervical nodal metastasis from an unknown primary site at presentation. Radiology. 278(1):146-55, 2016
Chi AC et al: Oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma--an update. CA Cancer J Clin. 65(5):401-21, 2015
Sood AJ et al: The association between T-stage and clinical nodal metastasis In HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Am J Otolaryngol. 35(4):463-8, 2014
Corey A: Pitfalls in the staging of cancer of the oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 23(1):47-66, 2013
Loevner LA et al: Transoral robotic surgery in head and neck cancer: what radiologists need to know about the cutting edge. Radiographics. 33(6):1759-79, 2013
Trotta BM et al: Oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer: key imaging findings for staging and treatment planning. Radiographics. 31(2):339-54, 2011
Davison JM et al: Squamous cell carcinoma of the palatine tonsils: FDG standardized uptake value ratio as a biomarker to differentiate tonsillar carcinoma from physiologic uptake. Radiology. 255(2):578-85, 2010
Hannisdal K et al: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tonsillar carcinomas are frequent and have a favourable prognosis in males in Norway. Acta Otolaryngol. 130(2):293-9, 2010
Marur S et al: HPV-associated head and neck cancer: a virus-related cancer epidemic. Lancet Oncol. 11(8):781-9, 2010
Tshering Vogel DW et al: Cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Cancer Imaging. 10:62-72, 2010
Ernster JA et al: Prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus 16 and 18 in the palatine tonsils of the general adult population. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 135(6):554-7, 2009
Luginbuhl A et al: Prevalence, morphology, and prognosis of human papillomavirus in tonsillar cancer. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 118(10):742-9, 2009
Cobo F et al: Review article: relationship of human papillomavirus with papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract: a review. Int J Surg Pathol. 16(2):127-36, 2008
Stambuk HE et al: Oral cavity and oropharynx tumors. Radiol Clin North Am. 45(1):1-20, 2007
Zima AJ et al: Magnetic resonance imaging of oropharyngeal cancer. Top Magn Reson Imaging. 18(4):237-42, 2007
Jumper JR et al: The "small, dark tonsil" in patients presenting with metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from an unknown primary. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 26(2):411-3, 2005
Cinar F: Significance of asymptomatic tonsil asymmetry. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 131(1):101-3, 2004
Venuti A et al: Presence of HPV in head and neck tumours: high prevalence in tonsillar localization. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 23(4):561-6, 2004
Kawabe J et al: Physiological FDG uptake in the palatine tonsils. Ann Nucl Med. 15(3):297-300, 2001
Related Anatomy
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References
Tables
Tables
KEY FACTS
Terminology
Imaging
Top Differential Diagnoses
Pathology
Clinical Issues
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa)
Synonyms
Faucial tonsil SCCa
Definitions
Epithelial malignant neoplasm arising in lateral oropharynx involving tonsillar fossa or pillars
May be referred to as tonsillar complex
Oropharyngeal subsites: Palatine tonsil, base of tongue, posterior pharyngeal wall, soft palate
IMAGING
General Features
CT Findings
MR Findings
Nuclear Medicine Findings
Ultrasonographic Findings
Imaging Recommendations
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PATHOLOGY
General Features
Staging, Grading, & Classification
Gross Pathologic & Surgical Features
Microscopic Features
CLINICAL ISSUES
Presentation
Demographics
Natural History & Prognosis
Treatment
DIAGNOSTIC CHECKLIST
Image Interpretation Pearls
Reporting Tips
Selected References
Jamal Z et al: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. StatPearls, 2021
Tham T et al: Anatomical subsite modifies survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: National Cancer Database study. 42(3):434-45, 2020
Lee B et al: Prognostic value of radiologic extranodal extension in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head and Neck. Korean J Radiol. 20(8):1266-74, 2019
Lin TA et al: Radiographic retropharyngeal lymph node involvement in HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma: patterns of involvement and impact on patient outcomes. Cancer. 125(9):1536-46, 2019
Moan JM et al: The prognostic role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET in head and neck cancer depends on HPV status. Radiother Oncol. 140:54-61, 2019
Rassy E et al: Comprehensive management of HPV-related squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck of unknown primary. Head Neck. 41(10):3700-11, 2019
Rulach R et al: 12 week PET-CT has low positive predictive value for nodal residual disease in human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancers. Oral Oncol. 97:76-81, 2019
Choi YJ et al: Histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficients for occult tonsil cancer in patients with cervical nodal metastasis from an unknown primary site at presentation. Radiology. 278(1):146-55, 2016
Chi AC et al: Oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma--an update. CA Cancer J Clin. 65(5):401-21, 2015
Sood AJ et al: The association between T-stage and clinical nodal metastasis In HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Am J Otolaryngol. 35(4):463-8, 2014
Corey A: Pitfalls in the staging of cancer of the oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 23(1):47-66, 2013
Loevner LA et al: Transoral robotic surgery in head and neck cancer: what radiologists need to know about the cutting edge. Radiographics. 33(6):1759-79, 2013
Trotta BM et al: Oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer: key imaging findings for staging and treatment planning. Radiographics. 31(2):339-54, 2011
Davison JM et al: Squamous cell carcinoma of the palatine tonsils: FDG standardized uptake value ratio as a biomarker to differentiate tonsillar carcinoma from physiologic uptake. Radiology. 255(2):578-85, 2010
Hannisdal K et al: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tonsillar carcinomas are frequent and have a favourable prognosis in males in Norway. Acta Otolaryngol. 130(2):293-9, 2010
Marur S et al: HPV-associated head and neck cancer: a virus-related cancer epidemic. Lancet Oncol. 11(8):781-9, 2010
Tshering Vogel DW et al: Cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Cancer Imaging. 10:62-72, 2010
Ernster JA et al: Prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus 16 and 18 in the palatine tonsils of the general adult population. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 135(6):554-7, 2009
Luginbuhl A et al: Prevalence, morphology, and prognosis of human papillomavirus in tonsillar cancer. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 118(10):742-9, 2009
Cobo F et al: Review article: relationship of human papillomavirus with papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract: a review. Int J Surg Pathol. 16(2):127-36, 2008
Stambuk HE et al: Oral cavity and oropharynx tumors. Radiol Clin North Am. 45(1):1-20, 2007
Zima AJ et al: Magnetic resonance imaging of oropharyngeal cancer. Top Magn Reson Imaging. 18(4):237-42, 2007
Jumper JR et al: The "small, dark tonsil" in patients presenting with metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from an unknown primary. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 26(2):411-3, 2005
Cinar F: Significance of asymptomatic tonsil asymmetry. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 131(1):101-3, 2004
Venuti A et al: Presence of HPV in head and neck tumours: high prevalence in tonsillar localization. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 23(4):561-6, 2004
Kawabe J et al: Physiological FDG uptake in the palatine tonsils. Ann Nucl Med. 15(3):297-300, 2001
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