Subtropical infection leading to invasive noncutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a 13-year-Old child

摘要

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an extremely rare disease in children and adolescents. Although risk factors for adult HNSCC are well characterized, relatively little is known about disease etiology in pediatric patients. We describe a 13-year-old patient from a remote area of Belize with a five-year history of a progressive exophytic facial mass with cutaneous ulceration, drainage, and necrosis following a dental procedure. Final pathology revealed multifocal invasive HNSCC involving the left periorbita, maxillary sinus, and hard palate. This is the first report of early-onset HNSCC which resulted from a longstanding inflammatory process. Although uncommon, malignancy is an important sequela to consider in the management of nonhealing wounds regardless of patient age.