Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma presenting as a nasal mass in the setting of a dental implant

Abstract

Primary oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas can rarely occur in anatomic vicinity of a dental implant in patients with no history of prior oral malignancy or premalignancy. This typically presents as a symptomatic oral gingival lesion. We report the unusual case of a 65-year-old former-smoker female with an implant-supported upper denture who developed an isolated nasal mass on exam, found to be a squamous cell carcinoma originating from the hard palate. Although very rare, an oral cavity cancer should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of a nasal cavity mass in the setting of dental implants.