title: Clinical presentation of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to present the symptoms first observed by patients diagnosed of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) presenting at the University College Hospital, Ibadan between January 1990 and December 2008 as well as the time lag between the observation and presentation in the hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective review of patients that have been diagnosed histologically as squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity at the University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria between January 1990 and December 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Painful tooth/teeth which are not mobile were the most common symptom in these patients (27.5%). However, about 59.4% of patients had painless symptoms at the onset of the disease. The interval between onset of symptoms and clinical presentation ranged from 3 weeks to 36 months with a mean duration of 7 ± 6.3 months. Paradoxically, patients that experienced painful symptoms at the onset of disease presented later than those who had painless symptoms
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The first symptoms observed by these patients were not pathognomonic of oral cancer but are shared by several relatively more common oral diseases. Awareness of the populace about oral cancer should be increased as well as the index of suspicion of the medical practitioner for OSCC.
authors: Department of Oral Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors: B F
authors: BF
authors: Adeyemi
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Kolude
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D014098:Toothache / Q000209:etiology*