Author/Authors :
Parepady Sundar, Gopinath Thilak Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India , Sherigar, Vishwanath K.S. Hegde Charitable Hospital, Mangalore, India , Shetty, Sameep S. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Manipal College of Dental Sciences - Manipal University, Manipal, India , Satya, Shree Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India , Gohil, Sourabh M. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India
Abstract :
Perineural invasion is an underrecognized route of metastatic spread along the nerve bundles within the nerve sheath into the
surrounding tissues. It hinders the ability to establish local control as tumour cells can traverse along nerve tracts well beyond
the extent of any local invasion rendering them inoperable and unresectable. Perineural invasion is a marker of poor prognosis.
Oral submucous fibrosis with oral cancer constitutes a clinicopathologically distinct disease. Our case highlights an enigmatic
presentation of oral submucous fibrosis and its coexistence with oral cancer presenting with unusual neurological disturbance of
the inferior alveolar nerve and facial nerve and diffuse widening of the mandibular canal. The objective of this case report is to
enumerate the significance of perineural invasion in determining the course of the disease and necessitate the need for future
studies that can shed light on molecular mediators and pathogenesis of perineural spread.
