A Case of Facial Lymphoma Mimicking Dental Infection

From Volume 36, Issue 4, May 2009 | Pages 244-246

Authors

Richard M Graham

BDS, FDSRCS(Eng), MBChB, MRCS(Ed), FRCS(OMFS)(Ed)

Specialist Registrar, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, North Manchester General Hospital, Manchester, UK

Articles by Richard M Graham

Ewen F Thomson

FDS RCPS, FRCS(OMFS)

Specialist Registrar, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, The Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH, Lancashire, UK

Articles by Ewen F Thomson

Gary CS Cousin

FDS RCS, FRCS(OMFS)

Consultant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, The Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH, Lancashire, UK

Articles by Gary CS Cousin

SN Kumar

MRCPath

Consultant, Pathology Department, The Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH, Lancashire, UK

Articles by SN Kumar

A Awasthi

MD, DipNB

Specialist Registrar, Pathology Department, The Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH, Lancashire, UK

Articles by A Awasthi

Abstract

Infective and neoplastic swellings of the face are common. Often, the differential diagnosis is obvious, but sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain. We report the case of a cheek swelling thought to be infective in origin, but this unusual lesion turned out to be a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This was found to be a solitary cutaneous lesion, with associated submandibular lymphadenopathy. The initial plan was for treatment with chemo-radiotherapy, however, the lesion has, surprisingly, begun to resolve spontaneously following biopsy.

Article