Pediatric squamous cell carcinoma: Case report and literature review

Objectives/Hypothesis: Describe a rare pediatric malignancy. Discuss the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic differences between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the adult and pediatric population. Study Design: Case report including a detailed radiological and histopathologic analysis and review of the literature. Methods A case report is described from a tertiary care university hospital. Histopathologic assessment and radiological details are reviewed. A literature review of the background, incidence, disease course, and treatment options are presented. Results This case report presents a 6-year-old male with a 2-month history of an enlarging oral lesion. The patient denied dysphagia, pain, weight loss, bleeding, or loosening of the teeth. Biopsy demonstrated invasive, well-differentiated, exophytic squamous cell carcinoma with perineural and angiolymphatic invasion. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a 2.7 × 3.0 cm poorly marginated infiltra- tive mass involving the gingival aspect of the superior alveolar ridge and the adjacent bony marrow, primarily to the right of midline. Multiple small sub centimeter lymph nodes were also identified in the bilateral level II to V posterior cervical triangles bilaterally. Conclusions Pediatric SCC of the oral cavity is indeed a rare entity; however, its presence in the pedi- atric population should not be ignored. This case report describes the occurrence of SCC in the oral cavity of a 6-year-old male patient, the youngest case ever reported, and is a reminder that a multidisciplinary approach tailored to pediatric individuals is essential to obtain clear diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans.