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We retrospectively evaluated 42 consecutive cancer patients with numb chin syndrome(NCS).Breast cancer comprised 64%of the primary tumors,and lymphoproliferative neoplasms comprised 14%.A standard workup(including imaging of the brain,base of skull,and mandible,and CSF analysis)led to the diagnosis of a metastatic etiology in 89%of the patients.Fifty percent of the patients had mandibular metastases,14%base-of-skull bone lesions, and 22%leptomeningeal seeding.NCS was a late manifestation of malignancy, associated with disease progression in 67%of the patients or heralding a relapse,which was often confined to the leptomeninges,in 31%.Although various therapeutic strategies led to resolution of NCS,median survival after its diagnosis was 5 months when due to bone metastases and 12 months if associated with leptomeningeal seeding. |
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