Metastasis of thyroid carcinoma to the mandible. Case report

Metastatic tumours to the jaw bones are uncommon. The incidence of jaw bone metastasis is difficult to assess accurately since the usual method to determine the distribution of a metastatic tumour has been by a radiographic skeletal survey in which the jaws are rarely included. At times, metastatic lesions of the orofacial region may be the first evidence of dissemination of a known tumour from its primary site. A case of metastatic follicular carcinoma of the thyroid to the mandible is presented. The present case emphasizes the importance of considering metastasis in the differential diagnosis of a radiolucent lesion in the mandible in a patient with a history of any malignant disease.