Multiple synchronous cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: a case report

Abstract

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most common skin cancer in whites, with a relatively low metastatic potential and a general amenability to local treatment. However, patients with high-risk CSCC is more likely to develop local and distant metastases that could be fatal. We present a case of an 82-year-old white man who initially presented with a solitary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the scalp and subsequently developed more than 40 primary CSCC lesions and metastases to the right parotid lymph nodes and thoracic vertebrae within 14 months of the primary diagnosis. Our report highlights the challenges that aggressive SCC can bring in the elderly population and describes some of the treatment modalities of CSCC.