Abstract
Behçet’s disease is an autoimmune disorder with various symptoms caused by systemic vasculitis. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising at the dorsum of the tongue in a patient with Behçet’s disease.
The patient was a 57-year-old woman who had been given a diagnosis of Behçet’s disease at a department of internal medicine. She had had recurrent aphthas every 2 or 3 months, which were resolved by steroid ointment. She had been aware of a refractory ulcer at the dorsum of the tongue for 3 months, resulting in loss of mobility of the tongue, and was referred to our department. An ulcer measuring 4.8 × 2.5 cm was found at the site, and the induration covered nearly the entire tongue.
Based on a clinical diagnosis of tongue carcinoma T4N0M0, we performed tracheotomy, bilateral neck dissection, total glossectomy, marginal mandibulectomy, and reconstruction using a rectus abdominis flap. The carcinoma was diagnosed as a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Eight years after surgery, she has had no recurrence or metastasis.
