Gingival Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The author presents the case of a 59-year-old man who presented to the clinic with a 5-month history of a rapidly growing and painful mass of the anterior mandible that was initially presumed to be due to dental infection. He had a 40-pack-year smoking history. He also reported unintentional weight loss of 10 pounds over the last 3 months. The patient’s past medical history was remarkable for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a diffusely infiltrating mass involving the anterior mandibular gingiva with gross invasion of the mandible and extending posteriorly into the root of the tongue (Figures 1 and 2). Biopsy proved well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).