Numb Chin Syndrome: An Uncommon Presentation of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosed by 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan
Keywords:
Numb chin syndrome; mandibular metastasis; F-18 FDG PET/CT scan; non-small cell lung cancerAbstract
Objective: To present an uncommon presentation of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer at mandible causing numb chin syndrome (NCS), diagnosed by PET/CT scan.
Case presentation: A 72-year-old man presented with decreased sensation of left lower lip without motor deficit or taste alteration, so called NCS. Work up was initially focused on benign etiology as patient had no known malignancy. However, malignancy was suspected after excluding all possible benign causes. Further investigation showed high level of adenocarcinoma markers and a lytic lesion at sacrum leading to provisional diagnosis of bone metastasis with unknown primary cancer. The subsequent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT scan) showed a pulmonary mass, representing primary lung cancer with multiple metastatic sites, including the destructive lesion at left mandible which was a cause of NCS.
Conclusion: NCS could be an atypical presentation of malignancy. Among several investigations for NCS, PET/CT scan may rarely be used. However, PET/CT scan may provide substantial benefits, particularly for metastatic disease with unknown primary cancer.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following conditions:
Copyright Transfer
In submitting a manuscript, the authors acknowledge that the work will become the copyrighted property of Siriraj Medical Journal upon publication.
License
Articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This license allows for the sharing of the work for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the authors and the journal. However, it does not permit modifications or the creation of derivative works.
Sharing and Access
Authors are encouraged to share their article on their personal or institutional websites and through other non-commercial platforms. Doing so can increase readership and citations.