%0 Journal Article
%T Metastatic breast carcinoma in the mandible presenting as a periodontal abscess: a case report
%A Evmenios Poulias
%A Ioannis Melakopoulos
%A Konstantinos Tosios
%J Journal of Medical Case Reports
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1752-1947-5-265
%X A 55-year-old Caucasian woman was referred to our clinic for evaluation of bisphosphonate-induced jaw osteonecrosis. She had undergone modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection for invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast. Her clinical examination showed diffuse swelling and a periodontal pocket of 6 mm exhibiting suppuration in the posterior right mandible. Moreover, paresthesia of the lower right lip and chin was noted. There were no significant radiographic findings other than alveolar bone loss due to her periodontal disease. Although the lesion resembled a periodontal abscess, metastatic carcinoma of the breast was suspected on the basis of the patient's medical history. The area was biopsied, and histological analysis confirmed the final diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma.The general dentist or dental specialist should maintain a high level of suspicion while evaluating patients with a history of cancer. Paresthesias of the lower lip and the chin should be considered ominous signs of metastatic disease. This case highlights the importance of the value of a detailed medical history and thorough clinical examination for the early detection of metastatic tumors in the oral cavity.Metastases in the oral cavity are rare and comprise approximately 1% of all oral malignancies [1]. They usually involve the jaws but may also be found in the soft tissues and salivary glands. The most common metastatic malignancies in women are from primary cancers in the breasts, kidneys, colorectal region, genital organs and thyroid glands, and in men they arise from the lungs, prostate, kidneys and colorectal region [2,3]. The mandible is affected more frequently than the maxilla, with a predilection for the areas distal to the canines, including the body and ramus [1,2,4]. These sites are considered vulnerable to the deposition of neoplastic cells because of the presence of hematopoietic bone marrow, branching of the local blood vessels and slowing of
%U http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/5/1/265