Mucosal ascc of oral cavity: a case report implicating need for aggressive therapy and close follow up

Acantholyticsquamous cell carcinoma is a rare variant of SCC and accounts for 2-4% of all SCC. Although, this lesion is commonly found on sun-exposed skin of head and neck, it is rarely seen in oral cavity. The acantholytic activity in tumor cells, high incidence of neck nodal metastasis and high loco-regional recurrence rates makes it different from other SCC variants in terms of long-term survival. We report one such case of oral ASCC in a 61-year-old male with recurrence after first therapy and being followed up till date after second surgery. So far this report documents the longest follow up of the patient with ASCC after therapy and emphasize the need for close follow-up, in addition to aggressive therapy for long-term disease-free survival.