Metastasis in the mandibular condyle: a case report

BACKGROUND: Most bone metastases are observed in the trunk of the body. Metastasis in the mandibular condyle is rare. In many case reports, temporary common temporomandibular joint disorder-like symptoms can be a sign of relapse and metastasis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of breast carcinoma metastatic to the left mandibular condyle in a 55-year-old Japanese woman, who visited our department for a dental check-up prior to chemotherapy. She had almost no symptoms, but radiographs suggested the existence of metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: In many case reports, patients had some symptoms. In this case report, our patient had slight symptoms, but we were able to confirm the metastasis from the symptoms and panoramic dental radiograph. When patients complain about discomfort of the temporomandibular joint, we need to consider the possibility of metastasis and notice changes on the panoramic dental radiograph.