The importance of clinical features and computed tomographic findings in numb chin syndrome: a report of two cases.
BACKGROUND
Dentists need to be aware of the relationship between malignancies and paresthesia or complete loss of sensation in a jaw segment. In particular, dentists should be aware of numb chin syndrome (NCS) and its clinical manifestations, as well as the limitations of using panoramic radiographs to detect the causative malignancy.


METHODS
The authors report two cases of paresthesia in the mental region. No lesions were readily apparent on the patients' panoramic radiographs. To exclude the presence of disease in the mandible that could have been responsible for the NCS, the authors obtained computed tomographic (CT) images. They identified metastases to the mandible from primary malignant tumors elsewhere in the body.


CONCLUSIONS
To prevent misdiagnosis of NCS, dentists need to be aware of the clinical manifestations of NCS, the need for CT imaging, the shortcomings of panoramic radiographs and the value of obtaining detailed and accurate medical and dental histories from patients.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
Izumi
I
Yoshioka
Shunji
S
Shiiba
Tatsurou
T
Tanaka
Takeshi
T
Nishikawa
Eiji
E
Sakamoto
Shinji
S
Kito
Masafumi
M
Oda
Nao
N
Wakasugi-Sato
Shinobu
S
Matsumoto-Takeda
Shigeyuki
S
Kagawa
Osamu
O
Nakanishi
Kazuhiro
K
Tominaga
Yasuhiro
Y
Morimoto
D000368:Aged; D002680:Chin / Q000294:innervation*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000556:secondary; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013577:Syndrome; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate