Cellular blue nevus tumor presenting as a submandibular lymph node in a 16-year-old.

Overview

The cellular blue nevus tumor is a type of dendritic melanocytic nevus that is typically benign and exceedingly rare. The incidence of all blue nevi is about 1%, usually affecting the adult population and appearing on the extremities, sacrococcygeal or gluteal regions. There have only been a handful of case reports cited in the literature where cellular blue nevi present in the head and neck region, usually affecting the scalp and young adult population (7, 8). As such, it is exceedingly rare to encounter a cellular blue nevus tumor in the neck or infiltrating into neck lymph nodes. Here we report a rare case of a cellular blue nevus tumor presenting as a right neck mass in a pediatric 16-year-old patient, shown to invade into the submandibular lymph node and surrounding soft tissue. It is important to be aware of the cellular blue nevus tumor as a differential diagnosis in pediatric neck masses. Histological evaluation is necessary to determine tumor aggression and malignant potential which can guide further treatment in pediatric patients.