Nut midline carcinoma: A case report

NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is a rare, highly lethal malignant epithelial tumor caused by rearrangements in the nuclear protein testis (NUT) gene in chromosome 15, and few studies have described the condition. This report describes NMC in an 8-year-old girl presenting an asymptomatic lesion on the tongue dorsum. Cervical lymph nodes were significantly increased, and the patient presented dysphagia, dyspnea, severe fatigue, and marked weight loss. Immunohistochemical examination afforded to diagnose the lesion as poorly differentiated, high-grade carcinoma with cytokeratin expression and positive staining for protein p63 and NUT. Despite treatment, the patient died eight months after diagnosis. The standard treatment for NMC is not significantly effective. Therefore, early diagnosis may be useful to better characterize progression of NMC, allowing health professionals to start more timely interventions based on new therapeutic protocols.