Metastatic tumors in the jaw bones: A retrospective clinicopathological study of 12 cases at Tertiary Cancer Center

INTRODUCTION: The metastatic disease of the jaw bones is very uncommon and accounts for approximately 1% of all malignancies of jaw. The most common location is molar region of mandible. Metastasis may go undetected on a routine skeletal survey for assessment of metastasis and rarely includes jaw bones. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to analyze primary malignancies in metastatic jaw tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied clinicopathological features of 12 patients of metastasis to jaw bones diagnosed at tertiary cancer center between 2003 and 2011. All H and E and immunohistochemical slides were reviewed by two pathologists and relevant details were noted. RESULTS: There were eight female and four male patients, with age range 12–71 years with metastases to jaws. All of them involved mandible with one case also showing the involvement of frontal sinuses. The types of metastatic tumors include adenocarcinoma (six cases), papillary thyroid carcinoma (four cases), carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation (one case) and neuroblastoma (one case). The diagnosis was made on biopsies in eight cases and on hemimandibulectomy in four cases. The primary site was known at the time of presentation only in four cases, all of them being thyroid carcinomas. Primary site was determined in seven cases after immunohistochemical workup on metastatic tumor and further investigations, whereas the primary site of carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation was unknown. CONCLUSION: Metastasis to jaw bones is rare and may be the first manifestation of unknown primary. A lesion predominantly involving bone with unusual morphology should raise a possibility of metastasis.