Squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa involving the masticator space: a case report

Squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa has an aggressive nature, as it grows rapidly and penetrates well with a high recurrence rate. If cancers originating from the buccal mucosa invade adjacent anatomical structures, surgical tumor resection becomes more challenging, thus raising specific considerations for reconstruction relative to the extent of resection. The present case describes the surgical management of a 58-year-old man who presented with persistent ulceration of the mucosal membrane and a mouth-opening limitation of 11 mm. Diagnostic imaging revealed a buccal mucosa tumor that had invaded the retroantral space upward with involvement of the anterior border of the masseter muscle by the lateral part of the tumor. In this report, we present the surgical approach we used to access the masticator space behind the maxillary sinus and discuss how to manage possible damage to Stensen's duct during resection of buccal mucosa tumors.