Advanced squamous cell carcinoma involving both upper and lower lips and oral commissure with simultaneous reconstruction by local flap: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors of the skin and oral mucosa. However, squamous cell carcinoma involving near total upper and lower lip and oral commissure is rarely seen in the English literature. Simultaneous reconstruction of the upper and lower lips has been inconclusive and presents a challenge to the surgeon. We report such a case and outline our simultaneous reconstruction with local flaps. To the best of our knowledge this has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old Thai woman presented with a large rapidly growing squamous cell carcinoma involving the upper lip, lower lip, left oral commissure and left cheek. En bloc resection of upper lip, lower lip, left oral commissure and buccal region was performed. Left radical neck dissection and right modified neck dissection were performed. Reconstruction of the upper lip with a left nasolabial-cheek cervicofacial rotational-advancement flap and right cheek advancement with perialar crescent flap was performed. The lower lip was reconstructed with bilateral labiomental advancement flaps. CONCLUSIONS: Squamous cell carcinoma can grow rapidly and spread along the orbicularis oris muscle and across the oral commissure to the opposite lip. In advanced cancer, multimodal treatment is necessary. No gold standard in the reconstruction of both upper and lower lips has been established. We report the case of an advanced squamous cell carcinoma involving both the upper lip, lower lip, left oral commissure and buccal area and simultaneous reconstruction with local flap coverage that, to the best of our knowledge, has never been reported.