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Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue associated with cinnamon gum use: a case report
W H Westra1, J S McMurray, J Califano
1Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-6417, USA.
Background:
Cinnamon aldehydes found in cinnamon-flavored gums can incite mucosal alterations at points of contact with the oral mucosa. These alterations may include inflammation and epithelial proliferation, but as a rule, the changes are reversible and promptly resolve when gum-chewing activity is discontinued.
Methods:
The authors report a case of a 24-year-old woman who developed a squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue following persistent and prolonged exposure to cinnamon-flavored gum.
Results:
Several social, clinical, and histopathologic features point to the cinnamon-flavored chewing gum as a possible causal factor in the development of the patient's oral carcinoma.
Conclusions:
Prompt withdrawal of cinnamon products is encouraged in heavy gum chewers who develop cinnamon-related oral lesions. For those lesions which do not promptly resolve upon cinnamon withdrawal, diagnostic biopsy should be considered to exclude the possibility of a squamous cell carcinoma.