[Carcinoma cuniculatum: An unusual oral tumor]

Ann Pathol. 2019 Sep;39(5):369-373. doi: 10.1016/j.annpat.2019.03.005. Epub 2019 May 19.
[Article in French]

Abstract

We report on a case of carcinoma cuniculatum (CC) of the maxillary gingival mucosa. A 60-year-old woman presented with an exophytic gingivo-palatal mass with slow growth and osteolytic evolution. A first performed biopsy was negative for malignancy. The diagnosis of CC was established on the surgical representative biopsy. CC is a rare low-grade variant of squamous cell carcinoma that is usually found in the foot or in oral cavity. The pathognomonic microscopic feature of CC is an endo- and/or exophytic lesion composed by a well differentiated squamous epithelium infiltrating into underlying stroma forming a complex pattern of keratin cores and keratin filled "rabbit warren" crypts. CC is a locally evolutive carcinoma with a usually good prognosis usually without lymph node or distant metastatic evolution.

Keywords: Carcinoma cuniculatum; Carcinome cuniculatum; Carcinome épidermoïde; Gencive; Gingiva; Oral; Pathologie; Pathology; Squamous cell carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / surgery
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Female
  • Gingival Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Gingival Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Gingival Neoplasms / surgery
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Maxilla
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / pathology*
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / surgery
  • Palatal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Palatal Neoplasms / surgery