Infratemporal fossa metastasis from carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Abstract

Introduction: Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the fourth commonest malignant tumor in women. The disease spreads into the surrounding tissues by direct infiltration whereas spread by hematogenous dissemination is relatively unusual, and most commonly involves the lung, bone, and liver. The involvement of oral and maxillofacial region is extremely rare in gynecological cancer.

Case report: In this paper, we present an unusual case of a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma originating in the infratemporal fossa of a 37-year-old woman who had underwent a subtotal hysterectomy, for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, 22 months earlier. A whole-body CT scan revealed a mass of enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum as well. The patient, who had presented for evaluation of a rapidly increasing trismus associated with deep intermittent facial pain and temporal swelling had initially been treated for a TMJ dysfunction and later for an infratemporal fossa abscess for long before a definite diagnosis was made. A high index of suspicion is possible to make an early diagnosis, which when coupled with an aggressive management can improve survival and quality of life.