Manifestations of cancer in the oral cavity

Manifestations of oral cancer are relatively frequent' and diverse'. The most common include:
 * Hemorrhage
 * Ulceration
 * Infiltration
 * Infection
 * Lymphadenopathy

Hemorrhagia

 * Hemorrhages are common in patients with diseases related to thrombocytopenia, such as acute leukemia, aplastic anemia, or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
 * Very often only petechiae are symptomatic, sometimes bleeding occurs while brushing teeth.
 * Prolonged profuse bleeding after tooth extraction may be the only sign of myeloproliferative disease.

Ulceration

 * Ulcerations are severe in patients with granulocytopenia.
 * The site of manifestation is: gums, tongue, palate, cheek mucosa.
 * They are very painful.

Infiltration

 * So-called diffuse gingival hypertrophy occurs in patients with leukemia. The degree of this hypertrophy corresponds with the number of abnormal cells in the peripheral blood.
 * As a result, the teeth are completely covered by the gingiva, which bleeds and becomes easily infected.
 * Microscopy:
 * epithelium is absent or hypertrophic
 * the connective tissue is infiltrated with leukemic cells
 * Gingival tissue may necrotize due to vascular thrombosis.
 * Loosening of the teeth occurs due to necrosis of the dental periosteum.

Infection

 * In patients with granulocytopenia, aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, and other myeloproliferative diseases that are associated with granulocytopenia.

Lymphadenopathy

 * In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, where the submandibular and cervical lymph nodes are often leukemically infiltrated.