Gingival metastasis from a medullary thyroid carcinoma: case report.

BACKGROUND

Metastatic tumors to the oral cavity are rare, representing about 1% of oral tumors, and they affect jaws more often than the oral soft tissues.

METHODS

Fifteen cases of metastases to the jaw bones from thyroid carcinoma were found in a recent review, with no cases located in the oral mucosa.

RESULTS

The authors describe the first cases of gingival metastasis from a thyroid medullary carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Periodontists must recognize oral soft tissue metastases because they can be the first sign of an undiscovered malignancy, and they can be easily mistaken with several different benign lesions.