Intraoral Acanthosis nigricans and its clinical relevance as a manifestation of a paraneoplastic syndrome: A case report.

Abstract

Malignant-or-paraneoplastic acanthosis nigricans is a verrucous and hyperpigmented tumor affecting the mucosa and skin. In most cases malignant acanthosis nigricans is a distant manifestation of an intra-abdominal primary cancer. While the diagnosis of malignant acanthosis nigricans is challenging, some specific clinical and histopathological findings could lead to an accurate diagnosis. A rare clinical case of a 59-year-old female, who was referred to the maxillofacial surgery service due to a painful oral lesion in the palatine region, is presented. Upon examination, papillomatous lesions were observed on the hard palate, that were later diagnosed as intraoral malignant acanthosis nigricans secondary to gastric cancer. Both local and systemic evaluations are discussed, highlighting the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach consistent with the fact that these manifestations, although infrequent, should generate suspicion among clinicians and therefore motivation to perform a diligent and complete study since it can reveal the presence of a malignant pathology.