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.
Piattelli
A
A
Dental School, University of Chieti, Italy. apiattelli@unich.it
Fioroni
M
M
Rubini
C
C
D002116:Calcitonin / Q000032:analysis; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010482:Periapical Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D002864:Chromogranins; D002116:Calcitonin; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase