Gingival metastasis of ovarian carcinoma: report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

Diagnosing gingival metastases is difficult because clinically they can mimic benign oral lesions. The authors report an unusual case of metastatic ovarian carcinoma in the gingiva of a 46-year-old woman 5 years after ovariectomy. The tumor presented as an exophytic growth at the molar region of the mandible. Histological examination showed invasive proliferation of atypical glandular structures composed of mucin-producing cells laying in a fibrous stroma. Tumor cells were immunopositive for carcinoembryonic antigen, MUC1 mucin, and lysozyme, while stromal fibroblasts were immunopositive for vimentin and estrogen receptor. The diagnosis of metastatic ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma was made. A review of the English literature revealed this to be the first report of gingival metastasis of an ovarian carcinoma.