Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma metastasizing to the anterior mandibular gingiva: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a rare subtype of non-small cell lung cancer. No standard therapy has been established for advanced disease, which results in poor prognosis. Some cases of PPC metastasizing to mandibular gingiva have been reported, and the involved site in these reports is all unilateral mandible. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of PPC metastasizing to the anterior mandibular gingiva in a 68-year-old man. The patient was referred to our hospital with tumor bleeding and difficulty with intake. One month before, he had been diagnosed as PPC. The size of oral tumor was 28 × 25 mm, and we performed surgical resection. Although there was no recurrence of oral lesion, he died of systemic metastases after 3 months since the surgery. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The prognosis of patients with metastatic tumor in oral region is poor. Radical treatment for oral lesion is often difficult due to the existence of other metastasis or the refractory, in particular cases with high grade malignancies such as PPC. On the other hand, because of the development of cancer treatment and the arrival of super-aging society, the number of patients with metastatic tumor in oral region has been expected to increase in future. CONCLUSION: PPC metastasizing to the gingiva of mandibular symphysis is extremely rare. If there are possibilities to improve the prognosis or quality of life, radical or palliative treatment for metastatic tumor in oral region should be performed.