Squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus mimicking periodontitis

Abstract

Maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma is a relatively rare disease, comprising only 3% of malignant diseases of head and neck. As the growth rate is high and its prognosis is poor compared to others, the 5-year survival rate of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma(MSSCC) is 23.4-49%. We introduce two rare clinical cases of squamous cell carcinoma originated from maxillary sinus of which symptoms include toothache and gingival swelling. On clinical examinations of both patients, deep periodontal pockets on upper right posterior teeth were detected. On panoramic images, the bony destruction of the maxillary sinus and its surrounding structures were not obvious and only alveolar bone loss was noted. It is difficult to diagnose MSSCC at an early stage due to symptoms of tooth pain and gingival swelling that are similar to that of periodontal diseases. However, if the symptoms do not improve after routine treatment of upper teeth, dentists should bear in mind of underlying malignant mass as differential diagnosis, thus early detection of the lethal disease. The aim of this study is to caution dental practitioners that malignancies have a potential to mimic periodontal diseases by introducing two cases of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma presented as periodontitis.