Rare presentation of metastatic cervical cancer to the right upper extremity skeletal muscle and gluteal adipose tissue

Abstract

Metastatic patterns of squamous cell cervical cancer are well described in the literature. Advancements in radiologic imaging have improved the ability to detect unusual sites of metastatic disease. We describe a unique case of isolated distant metastases to the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue detected by PET-CT. A patient with a new diagnosis of squamous cell cervical cancer was incidentally found to have FDG-avid lesions in the right upper extremity skeletal muscle and right gluteal adipose tissue without other evidence of metastatic disease. Initial cytology of the right upper extremity lesion revealed no evidence of malignancy. After the patient developed worsening pain and swelling in the right arm and gluteal region, repeat cytology confirmed metastatic squamous cell cervical cancer. With increasing sensitivity of radiologic imaging studies, the frequency of incidentally noted lesions is likely to rise and may be challenging to interpret in a patient with a history of malignancy. Continued assessment and reporting of these lesions is imperative for improved understanding of the natural history of disease.

Keywords

• Cancer
• Metastatic
• Cervix
• Squamous