Abstract
Forestier's disease is a degenerative form of arthritis which causes spinal stiffness by ossification and thickening of the anterior longitudinal ligament. Management of the difficult airway and dysphagia is a major concern in the case of cervical vertebrae involvement. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue with Forestier's disease. A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a painful mass in the right margin of the tongue in mid March 2008. Intraoral examination revealed a granuloma-like mass, enlarged to 22 × 18 × 10mm in diameter, in the right margin of the tongue. CT images showed hyperostosis of the cervical vertebrae which caused tracheal deviation and airway narrowing. Partial glossectomy was performed under general anesthesia, following tracheotomy in order to prevent airway obstruction and pulmonary aspiration during the postoperative period. The postoperative course was uneventful and no evidence of pulmonary aspiration was found. During follow-up for 48 months, the patient has remained free of recurrence and metastasis, and dysphagia with progression of Forestier's disease has not been noted.
