title: Numb chin syndrome as first symptom of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
abstract: Numb chin syndrome is a rare sensory neuropathy of the mental nerve characterized by numbness, hypoesthesia, paraesthesia, and very rarely pain. Dental causes, especially iatrogenic ones, maxillofacial trauma, or malignant neoplasm are etiologic factors for this rare syndrome. Many malignant and metastatic neoplasms are causing this syndrome, like primary osteosarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and mandibular metastasis of primary carcinoma of breast, lung, thyroid, kidney, prostate, and nasopharynx. Haematological malignancies like acute lymphocytic leukaemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma can cause this neuropathy. The authors report a case of a 71-year-old woman in which the numb chin syndrome was the first symptom of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which caused infiltration and reabsorption of the alveolar ridge and lower mandibular cortex. A biopsy of the mass was performed on fragments of tissue collected from the mandibular periosteum, medullary and cortical mandibular bone, and inferior alveolar nerve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Oral Medicine Section, CIR Dental School, University of Turin, Via Nizza 230, 10126 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Oral Medicine Section, CIR Dental School, University of Turin, Via Nizza 230, 10126 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Della Ferrera
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pathology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, Strada Comunale di S. Vito Revigliasco 34, 10133 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Department, Centre for Oral Health Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 7RU, UK.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrozzo