Bone mets on bottom jaw

[Lyn]

Hi, has anyone had bone mets on their jaw? I have a small lump on my bottom jaw and I feel it when I rub my tongue underneath bottom teeth, does this sound familiar to anyone? I am having a scan done on me face as soon as I can get an appointment, my luck it will be positive.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[jener8er]

Hi Lyn, I'm curious about this too - I have a smallish lump on my bottom jaw, but on the outside. It hurts when I press on it. I did hear at my support group that someone who used to go there years ago had mets to the jaw, so I guess it's not impossible. Let me know what your scans show - I had a bone scan about a month ago that was fine, and I have a PET in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that will be clear also.

Good luck to you and let us know what the scans show.
Jen

[mts]

Hi-

I used to work for an oral surgeon... when you feel with your tongue, things seem huge. From my experience it sounds like a salivary/parotid gland issue. Perhaps a salivary "node" might have fluid build-up or even a salivary stone. I do know that any oral surgeon will have a Panoramic X-Ray machine in their office (they are around $50). It would pick-up anything to do with salivary glands, or even the teeth. Don't forget your teeth roots are very deep! Often times parotid gland tumors are misdiagnosed. Those tumors mimic the side effects of Bells (sp?) Palsy.
Now, if you are losing sensation around the corners of your mouth (you can't whistle, or liquids seep out- then you might have something affecting the nerves that provide those sensations. I am no expert, but my mother had parotid cancer (VERY, VERY RARE) and she was originally misdiagnosed with Bells Palsy. She never felt any pain, but the loss of sensation was the one red flag we should have paid more attention to.

What you say you have sounds nothing like what she had.

My best to you!

Maria

[Lyn]

Hi Maria, what you say doesn't seem far from the truth. I have experienced numbness from the top of my ear for nearly 2 years now, after a while it travelled down to the base of my neck, under my jaw, and along the top of my shoulder. I have been told it is radiation damage, this other nerver thing starting with a T, but my scans have always mentioned the floor of my mouth, but nothing they put their finger on, I always thought they may have meant the tonsil region, they were removed when I was 8. The lump can be seen when I look in the mirror. To make things worse I have a mixed connective tissue disorder which includes Sjrogens which is the glands, so I am a nightmare to diagnose with anything. My sister always gets a stone in her saliva gland but I think this is bony origin, why wouldn't it be, I have nothing but bad news everytime I go looking for something. I should have had it done today but sinces I fractured my shoulder again last week my daughter had me hostage in bed today while she looked after me and brought me a 5star lunch, so I didn't dare suggest going out of the house, she is back at school tomorrow so I will find out then. Thanks for your post.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[mts]

Wow! You really are a case! Sounds like your plate is full... I really sympathize with your health dilemmas. Like breast cancer isn't bad enough.

Please know I am thinking about you and hoping you get this jaw thing resolved. Please post again and let us know what your results are.

Warmly,
Maria

[Cynthia]

Lyn,

Have you ever heard of a condition called Mandibular Tori? It is a very common condition (about 20% of the population has it). It is a bony protrusion from the lower jaw below the teeth (towards the tongue). I had the very same scare you are having now when I felt the bump in my lower jaw. Though my onc was originally stumped, my dentist recognized it as Mandiubular Tori right away. (Has your dentist had a look?) It is perfectly benign. With all you have been through, wouldn't it be nice to hear the words "benign" about this?

You can Google "Mandibular Tori" and it will take you to some pretty ugly pictures that may or may not look like what you are describing. Here is a link as well.

http://www.dental.mu.edu/oralpath/cases/case25/case25a.htm

I wish you only the very best and am hoping that once you run it to ground you will find that this can be crossed off your worry list.

Cynthia

[dberg]

A tori is exactly what I thought of when I read this yesterday. I can feel with my tongue as well as see it if I lift up my tongue, but it is small and doesn't bother me at all. A hygenist spotted it years ago. She said they are very common.

[Lyn]

Thanks everyone, I feel a bit more positive about it now so I am going to get off the site and ring for my X-ray appointment. I couldn't work out why my neck is painful at the moment in the same area, then I rememberd the ER doc telling me that this darn sling I am wearing all the time will give me a sore neck, she wasn't wrong, chemo brain. Thanks gang. Talk to you soon.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Hi all, as usual the right info is posted here. Result of scan says the appearance may relate to the presence of torus mandibularis, genial tubercels are noted incidentally. So, no mention of the C word, that is a relief but looks like I am stuck with the lump so I hope it doesn't get any bigger. Thanks guys.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[anne]

Hello everyone,

Mandibular tori are bony projections, so you can feel bumps on the back of your lower jaw. They don't move since they are bone. If you have a small nodule and it is moving, it probably a lymph node(benign) or a salivary gland. If you are worried, your dentist can take a panoramic x-ray which is a simple procedure to check your jaw bone.
Take care,
Anne