Intracranial metastases from oral squamous cell carcinoma.

We present two cases of histologically confirmed intracerebral metastases from oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This site of distant spread has not to our knowledge previously been reported. The only common feature in all these cases was the long period over which the patients had untreated primary disease (12--24 months). Both patients developed symptoms from their cerebral deposit within a short time of diagnosis and treatment of the primary disease. They died rapidly of their cerebral metastases despite extensive and effective treatment of the primary site and regional lymph nodes. We recommend that a magnetic resonance (MR) scan of the brain is considered for patients who present with long-standing untreated primary oral SCC. Copyright 2001 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.