A Case of Tongue Carcinoma Resection and Reconstruction with Microsurgical Free Flap during Pregnancy

Abstract

Malignant tumors during pregnancy are rarely seen by otolaryngologists, and they cause various problems which require special treatment with careful consideration of both the mother and fetus. Cases of tongue carcinoma resection and reconstruction with a microsurgical free flap during pregnancy have not previously been reported in Japan. We report herein on a case, in which the mother and her child made satisfactory progress after surgery. A-33-year-old female at 25 weeks and 4 days of pregnancy was referred to our department for the treatment of a tumor on the right edge of her tongue. Examinations including biopsy revealed SCC (T2N0M0). We performed an operation to remove the tongue carcinoma with the pull-through method and reconstruct the tongue with an ALT flap at just 28 weeks of pregnancy. The postoperative recovery was favorable, and she gave natural birth to a girl safely at 38 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. She is currently free of disease and her child is growing normally, at 2 years and 10 months after surgery.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue During Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…We identified thirty two cases of pregnant patients with tongue SCC following a literature search as shown in table 1, with the current patient included. 4,5,6,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 We excluded cases reported as a regional recurrence of tongue SCC during pregnancy. Only one pregnant patient with SCC of the tongue in the published literature chose termination of pregnancy prior to treatment of the malignancy; however, publication bias must be considered when interpreting this.…”

Posttraumatic Lip Replantation in a Pregnant Woman

“…Only three reports of pregnant women undergoing major microvascular surgery exist; none related to the lip. [10][11][12] Surgery in pregnancy raises concerns for mother and fetus from anesthesia, anticoagulation, and tissue damage. A meta-analysis of 12,000 pregnant women undergoing nonobstetric surgery revealed no increases in pregnancy complications.…”

Treatment of oral cancers during pregnancy: a case-based discussion

“…Because there are restrictions on terminating a pregnancy and inducing childbirth in mid-pregnancy, there is a high possibility at this stage of choosing treatment while continuing with the pregnancy. In the latter part of the pregnancy, a caesarean section may be performed after 30–34 weeks’ gestation, or delivery may be induced [18, 33]. According to the literature, treatment of oral cancer during pregnancy is diverse, such as surgery (56.4%), chemotherapy (12.8%), radiotherapy (28.2%), no treatment during pregnancy (23.1%) (Table 2).…”