01/08/2026
🦷 Save a Life: Mastering the Features of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) 🦷
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma accounts for the vast majority of oral malignancies, and its presentation can be deceptively varied.
We’ve broken down the essential clinical and radiographic features from our latest infographic for a quick revision. 👇
🧐 1. The Many Faces of OSCC (Clinical Forms)
Don't just look for one type of lesion. OSCC can present as:
* Exophytic: A mass-forming, often fungating growth.
* Endophytic: An invasive, non-healing ulcer with characteristic indurated (rolled) borders.
* Color Changes: It can appear as a white patch (Leukoplakic), a red patch (Erythroplakic), or a mixed red-and-white lesion.
🎯 2. High-Risk Zones & The "Mimicry" Trap
* Prime Locations: Always carefully inspect the lateral/ventral borders of the tongue and the floor of the mouth—these are the most common intraoral sites.
* Don't Get Fooled: Gingival and alveolar ridge carcinomas are notorious for mimicking benign inflammatory conditions like gingivitis, periodontitis, or pyogenic granulomas. If it doesn't heal after standard therapy, biopsy it.
💀 3. Invasive & Radiographic Clues
Look deeper than the mucosa:
* Bone involvement: On radiographs, look for a "moth-eaten" appearance with ragged, ill-defined margins indicating bone destruction.
* Red Flag Symptoms: Perineural invasion can cause paresthesia/numbness. Also, watch for dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and referred otalgia (ear pain).
🦠 4. The Oropharyngeal Connection (HPV)
* Lesions located in the oropharynx (base of tongue, tonsillar region) have a different etiology and prognosis.
* These are frequently associated with high-risk HPV infection.
* Key Marker: p16 overexpression on immunohistochemistry acts as a surrogate marker for transcriptionally active HPV infection.
💡 Golden Rule for Dental Students: Any single lesion that persists for more than 2 weeks after removing possible local irritants requires immediate investigation and biopsy. Maintain a high index of suspicion!
📲 Save this post for your next pathology rotation and tag a batchmate to help them revise!