Tumor homing to the oral cavity after tooth extraction in a patient with metastatic lung adenocancer: A case report

Abstract

Angiogenesis plays a major role not only in the growth of the primary tumor, but also in metastasis. Due to the angiogenesis in granulation tissue, the tumor cells easily migrate to and locate in this region, thereby accelerating the pathological angiogenesis process and proliferation via presence of the angiogenesis-stimulating factors in this site. In this case report, we present tumor homing to granulation tissue following tooth extraction in a 68-year-old male patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. He applied to hospital due to delayed wound healing after tooth extraction for tooth decay approximately 5 months after the diagnosis. A superficially swollen mass of 6 × 6 cm was detected in the tooth extraction site. The histopathological examination suggested that it was a lung carcinoma metastasis. The presence of tooth extraction history together with the pulmonary adenocarcinoma metastasis in the extraction site was explained as “tumoral homing” to granulation tissue following tooth extraction. This patient is of significance since it is the first case in the literature with “tumor homing” observed in the granulation tissue following tooth extraction.

Keywords

• Tumor homing
• Oral cavity metastases
• Tooth extraction
• Lung adenocarcinoma