Dental Core Trainee, Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Specialty Registrar in Oral Surgery, Edinburgh Dental Institute, Edinburgh, UK.
Prim Dent J. 2022 Mar;11(1):66-71. doi: 10.1177/20501684221085837.
This article details the unusual presentation of an oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) referred to secondary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The patient's chief complaints were trismus and pain from a lower left partially erupted third molar, which was assumed to be pericoronitis-related on referral. Intra-oral examination was difficult due to the patient's symptoms, but radiographic assessment of an orthopantomogram (OPG) showed a pathological fracture and poorly defined radiolucency in the lower left third molar region. Oral SCC was diagnosed after biopsy, and surgery and radiotherapy were swiftly carried out despite COVID-19 restrictions. General dental practitioners (GDPs) remain the frontline healthcare professionals in the screening and detection of oral cancer through detailed history taking and examinations. Primary care dental practitioners should always remain vigilant with patients at risk of oral cancer. Prompt referral to secondary care for further investigations and management should be made when a suspicion of oral malignancy is raised, to ensure a better treatment outcome. Video consultations have had their merits in dentistry amid the coronavirus pandemic, but face-to-face consultations are essential to establish quality patient care.
本文详细介绍了在 COVID-19 大流行期间，一名口腔鳞状细胞癌（SCC）患者转诊至二级医疗机构的不寻常表现。患者的主要诉述是牙关紧闭和左下部分萌出的第三磨牙疼痛，转诊时认为与冠周炎有关。由于患者的症状，口腔内检查较为困难，但口腔全景片（OPG）的影像学评估显示左下第三磨牙区域存在病理性骨折和界限不清的放射性透亮区。经活检诊断为口腔 SCC，尽管受到 COVID-19 限制，但仍迅速进行了手术和放疗。全科牙医（GDP）仍然是通过详细的病史询问和检查筛查和检测口腔癌的一线医疗保健专业人员。初级保健牙科医生应始终对有口腔癌风险的患者保持警惕。当怀疑口腔恶性肿瘤时，应迅速转介至二级医疗机构进行进一步的检查和管理，以确保更好的治疗效果。在冠状病毒大流行期间，视频咨询在牙科中具有优势，但面对面咨询对于建立高质量的患者护理至关重要。
