Letters to the Editor

We present a case report on polymorphous adenocarcinoma of the palate diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 50-year-old female patient self-referred to the Restorative Dentistry department where she was consequently referred to the Maxillofacial Surgery team. The patient presented with an 8-week history of shooting pain and swelling in the upper left quadrant following three courses of antibiotics, which was thought to be due to an ill-fitting denture. She saw her general dental practitioner (GDP)prior to the lock down for the root canal treatment on UL4 and UL1. Past medical history indicated allergies to penicillin and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, for which she was medicated with omeprazole. She had a history of smoking 20 cigarettes a day since the age of 16 and she enjoys alcohol socially.

Examination showed a denture that was looser than it should have been for its estimated age of 20 years. Clinically, there were no pathological palpable neck nodes and no evidence of diplopia. Her pupils were equal and reactive to light with no restriction of eye movement. No hyper globus was detected, although she did have some fullness in the infra-orbital region with no evidence of infra-orbital nerve paraesthesia.