title: Squamous cell carcinoma of the gingiva: A diagnostic enigma.
abstract: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common epithelial malignant neoplasm affecting the oral cavity; early detection is an important criterion for achieving high cure rate. Occasionally, it may be misdiagnosed because of its variable and innocuous clinical appearance. Carcinomas of the gingiva are a unique subset of OSCC, constituting approximately 10% of OSCCs and can mimic a multitude of oral lesions especially those of inflammatory origin with benign features, often leading to delay in the diagnosis and hence delayed treatment. This article reports a rare case of gingival OSCC in a 62-year-old female patient mimicking an inflammatory gingival mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bharanidharan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dineshkumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Karthik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raghavendhar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: A Ramesh
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kumar
keywords: Early detection; gingival mass; oral cancer; squamous cell carcinoma