Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma – Pathway to the oral cavity: a Review

Dr Varun Rastogi; Dr Nisha Maddheshiya; Dr Rachna Sharma

Volume : IX, Issue : II, February - 2020

Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma – Pathway to the oral cavity: a Review

Dr Varun Rastogi, Dr Nisha Maddheshiya, Dr Rachna Sharma

Abstract :

Metastatic malignancies of the oral cavity are a rare phenomenon, accounting for only about 1% of all oral malignancies. The metastatic tumor cells may affect the jaw bones or the oral soft tissues or even both. The primary tumors commonly implicated in oral metastasis are usually from the lungs, east, kidney and bone. The Batson‘s paraverteal plexus is usually implicated as the pathway for distant metastasis into the oral cavity. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm affecting the liver and about two thirds of HCC metastasize, usually to the lungs and regional lymph nodes. Such secondary neoplasm�s do not have any pathognomonic clinical or radiologic findings and therefore they pose a diagnostic challenge. We review the various risk and predisposing factors and the key route of metastasis of Hepatocellular carcinoma to the oral cavity involving both the maxilla and mandible.