Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common epithelial malignant neoplasm affecting the oral cavity. It accounts for 90% of all oral cancers. It usually arises from a pre-existing potentially malignant lesion, and occasionally de novo. The use of tobacco, betel quid and alcohol are well known risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
 Early detection is an important criterion for achieving high cure rate. Occasionally, OSCC may be misdiagnosed because of its variable and innocuous clinical appearance.
 We report the case of an early presentation of Oral squamous cell carcinoma in a patient aged 70 without preexisting risk factors, with a painful and soft erosion in the buccal mucosa for 2 months. The lesion resembled other benign lesions, but biopsy was mandatory and revealed an early squamous cell carcinoma.
Highlights
The diagnosis of oral erosions and ulcerationsof the oral cavity is a challenge due to their similar appearances
While many oral ulcers and erosions are most often the result of chronic trauma, some may indicate an underlying systemic condition such as a gastrointestinal dysfunction, malignancy, immunologic abnormality, or cutaneous disease. [1]Single ulcerations that originated from trauma or other causes must be distinguished from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) that typically presents as solitary ulcer. [2,3] An OSCC is the most common persistent ulcer affecting the oral cavity which encompasses 90-95% of oral cancers. [4]It generally affects men aged over 50, most of them with a history or risk factors of high tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and smokeless tobacco use...[2,5]
[4] Usually, presentation is a well-defined erythematous area with raised margins surrounded by erythematous halo and floor covered with yellowish or greyish pseudomembranous slough. [8]Patients complain of tenderness or pain in the area of the lesion and the traumatic agent/factors can usually be identified.[4,6]Clinical presentation often suggests etiology. [8]Rarely the origin of trauma is obscure can cause difficulty in establishing the proper diagnosis.[4]
Summary
Laila Benjelloun a , Salih Chbicheb b a Assistant Professor, Oral surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mohamed V University of Rabat, Morocco b Professor and Head of the Oral Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mohamed V University of Rabat, Morocco
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