A clinical study on the cervical lymph node metastasis of maxillary sinus carcinoma

Objective: to improve the management of maxillary sinus carcinoma, we retrospectively investigated the significance of cervical lymph node metastasis in our treated cases and discussed how to deal with the cervical lymph node metastasis as a prognostic factor. Methods: medical records of 118 patients with maxillary sinus carcinoma diagnosed and treated in our institute from 1982 to 1997 were retrospectively reviewed. Tumors were staged according to UICC classification 1987. The cumulative survival was analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Generally, the patients had undergone preoperative radiotherapy and surgery. We examined the cervical lymph node metastasis detected at the first examination and the subsequent cervical lymph node metastasis in relation to the prognoses. Results: the incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis at the initial diagnosis was 7.9% (n=9), and that of secondary cervical lymph node metastasis without recurrence at the primary site after the first treatment was 8.3% (n=9). In most cases, we observed metastasis to the lymph nodes in the submandibular region and in the jugular chain. The result of treatment of cervical lymph node metastasis was grave. Among the patients with cervical lymph node metastasis detected at the first examination, four patients developed local recurrence and three patients developed distant metastasis. On the other hand, among those with secondary cervical metastasis, three patients developed neck recurrence and three patients developed distant metastasis, but no local recurrence. Conclusions: in the cervical metastasis of maxillary sinus carcinoma, it is important to treat the primary lesion completely. In addition to it, we should control cervical metastasis and careful neck dissection is required. For the patients with cervical lymph node metastasis, it is necessary to consider the further treatment of distant metastasis.