Abstract
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare, but distinct histologic variant of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region. It is considered to have a poor prognosis due to its aggressive behavior and tendency to metastasize. The usual sites of BSCC are the floor of the mouth, hypopharynx and base of the tongue, and according to the English-language literature its presentation in the gingiva is somewhat uncommon. In the current report, the unusual case of a 40-year-old male is presented; the patient exhibited a painless irregular mass in the maxillary gingiva, which infiltrated the maxillary sinus, as observed by computed tomography. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections revealed a diagnosis of BSCC with typical central necrosis in the cancer nests, which contained basaloid and squamous cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed that p63 was weakly positive, high molecular weight cytokeratin (CK) was focally positive, and S-100, CK7, CK14 and vimentin were negative. It must be noted that histopathology results may be incorrectly interpreted as adenoid cystic carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma and basal cell adenocarcinoma.
Highlights
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which was first described by Wain et al [1] in 1986
BSCC is a rare and malignant tumor that presents in the head and neck region, including the oral mucosa, and has been defined as an aggressive and distinct variant of SCC, which is composed of basaloid and squamous components, according to the World health Organization [6]
BSCC is uncommon in the oral cavity and more so in the gingiva
Summary
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which was first described by Wain et al [1] in 1986. An additional case of BSCC in the maxillary gingiva is presented and the clinical features of BSCC are reviewed according to the current literature. Case report In October 2009, a 40‐year‐old male visited the outpatient clinic of Peking University, Shenzhen Hospital (Shenzhen, China) presenting with a painless irregular mass of the right maxillary gingiva as well as nasal obstruction following the presentation of the initial symptoms two months previously.
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