Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma presenting in the submandibular region in an 11 year-old.

Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcomas (FDCS), formerly known as follicular dendritic cell tumors (FDCT), are rare and likely under-diagnosed malignancies arising in the dendritic reticulum cells of lymph nodes. Extranodal cases are rare, with fewer than 70 cases reported in the head and neck.1 The tonsils are the most common extranodal site in the head and neck;2 other sites include the nasopharynx, parapharyngeal space, maxillary alveolar ridge, hard and soft palate.1 FDCS typically affects young or middle aged patients and there may be a slight female predominance.3,4 We present the case of an 11 year-old patient with FDCS involving the right submandibular region. To our knowledge, this is the third reported case of FDCS in the head and neck in a patient under the age of 16.