Diagnosis of an adenocarcinoma of Müllerian origin made as a result of its metastasis in the mouth floor

Abstract

Metastases derived from primary tumours distant to the oral and maxillofacial region account for only 1% of all malignancies at that location, usually with a poor prognosis. In women, the primary tumours that most frequently metastasise to the oral cavity are breast adenocarcinomas affecting the jawbones and soft tissues (41% and 24%, respectively), followed by adrenal glands and female genital organs to the jawbones (8%), and female genital organs to the soft tissues (15%). Metastatic tumours of the mouth are a challenging diagnosis because of their exceptional occurrence. We report on the case of an 83-year-old woman who consulted for a bleeding ulcerated tumour on the floor of the mouth. A biopsy-confirmed metastasis of an adenocarcinoma of Müllerian origin. The oral lesion was the first sign of undetected cancer. The patient agreed to surgical resection and was further referred to palliative care for her symptoms.