Leiomyosarcoma of the Mandibular Gingiva: A Case Report

Cho, Eun Young; Ha, Jong Woon; Kim, Eun Cheol; Jeong, Yun Shim

Abstract

Leiomyosarcoma(LMS) is a malignant tumor from smooth muscle origin that arises most commonly in the gastrointestinal tract and uterus, but rarely in the oral and maxillofacial area which lacks smooth muscles. 63 cases of oral LMS have been reported, especially LMS that occurred in the mandibular gingiva is only 2 cases. Major symptom of oral LMS is painful or painless swelling. Besides it, oral LMS has no specific characteristics. So it is difficult to diagnose the case as LMS of the oral cavity. Certain cases report that LMS of the oral cavity was misdiagnosed as periodontitis and the patients were treated with unnecessary procedures. Conventional treatment of LMS is the radical surgical excision. LMS that is infiltrative and very malignant has poor prognosis despite of well-circumscribed boundary. LMS of the oral cavity is often recurred, has high rate of distant metastasis and 5-year-survival rate is as low as 23%. This article reports LMS of the mandibular gingiva that treated with surgical intervention, had local recurrence and metastasis to the lymph node after 16-month's follow-up examination.