Gingival metastasis from primary hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and literature review of 30 cases

Background Gingival metastasis from primary hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is rare, highly malignant, and generally has no distinct symptoms. Not performing a biopsy can lead to misdiagnosis. This article reports an 87-year-old male with gingival metastasis from HCC. To gain a better insight into this disease, we also conducted a literature review of 30 cases and discussed the clinical and pathological characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this unusual form of liver cancer. Case presentation An 87-year-old man was hospitalized with a chief complaint of chronic constipation and diffuse lower extremity edema. His past medical history included a three-year hepatitis B infection and a cerebral infarction 17 years prior. Imaging examination detected a massive hepatocellular carcinoma in the right liver lobe and multiple metastases in the lungs. Oral examinations revealed a reddish, cherry-sized exophytic mass on the right upper gum. The mass was tentatively diagnosed as a primary gingival tumor and was ultimately confirmed by biopsy as a metastatic carcinoma originating in the liver. The patient decided, with his guardians, to receive palliative care and not to remove the mass. Unfortunately, the patient accidentally bit the mass open; profuse bleeding ensued and local pressure exerted a poor hemostatic effect. The patient’s condition worsened, and he eventually died of multiple organ failure. We also performed a literature review and discussed 30 cases of gingival metastases from HCC. The findings indicated that these lesions affected males more than females, with a ratio of 6:1, and infiltrated the upper gingivae (63.1%) more than the lower gingivae (36.7%). Survival analysis indicated that the overall survival for patients with upper gingival metastasis was worse than for those with lower gingival metastasis, and patients receiving treatments for primary liver cancer or metastatic gingival tumors had better overall or truncated survival times. Conclusion Gingival metastasis from primary hepatocellular carcinoma is rare, and its diagnosis has presented challenges to clinicians. To avoid a potential misdiagnosis, a biopsy is mandatory regardless of whether a primary cancer is located. Early diagnosis and treatment for primary liver cancer or metastatic gingival lesions may improve survival expectations.