Gingival metastasis from a testicular choriocarcinoma: An unusual case report and review of the literature

Metastasic tumours to the oral cavity are extremely rare lesions that represent 1% of all oral and maxillofacial malignancies. Most reported cases involve the jaw bones than the soft tissues. Metastasis to the oral soft tissues most prevalently affects the gingiva and alveolar mucosa. Gingival metastasis may have an unremarkable clinical appearance and they can be difficult to distinguish from more common hyperplasic or reactive lesions that appear to be benign entities, such as peripheral giant-cell granuloma, pyogenic granuloma and peripheral ossifying fibroma. We present an unusual case of a testicular choriocarcinoma metastasized to the maxillary gingiva mimicking a reactive lesion. In addition, we also present a literature review of previous reported cases and a brief discussion about the etiopathogeny of testicular germ cell tumors, and how these malignant cells can reach the gingival tissues.