Hawley B and Krempl GA
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this article is to present a case of metastatic prostate cancer in the jaw that was initially thought to be primary osteosarcoma due to sunburst pattern on imaging, which has rarely been reported for prostate cancer metastasis, and to discuss current recommendations concerning approach to metastatic prostate cancer in the jaw.
Methods: A case of a 70 year-old male who presented with metastatic prostate cancer to the jaw is reported. A literature review regarding this uncommon phenomenon was performed.
Results: The authors report a case of a patient who presented with a jaw mass initially thought to be osteosarcoma due to imaging findings. Upon further investigation the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer was confirmed. Treatment for this disease is usually palliative. Fewer than 100 cases of prostate cancer spreading to the jaw have been described in the literature. Lesions may be both radiopaque and/or radiolucent on imaging, which can pose difficulty in achieving a correct diagnosis.
Conclusions: Metastatic prostate cancer in the jaw is an infrequent occurrence that poses diagnostic difficulty. Physicians working up a mass in t