Unusual presentation of 'numb chin syndrome' as the manifestation of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung

INTRODUCTION: Numb chin syndrome (NCS) is the presence of hypoaesthesia or paraethesia of the lip and chin over the distribution of the mental nerve. It is often caused by the presence of a metastatic tumour in the mandible or the base of skull and represents advanced malignancy. PRESENTATION OF CASE: This paper presents an unusual case of NCS associated with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, for which no obvious lesion was found in the mandible or base of the skull. DISCUSSION: NCS can oftentimes present itself in the absence of mandibular or base of skull metastatic lesions. CONCLUSION: NCS can be a sign of underlying advanced metastatic malignancy and therefore cannot be ignored and must be investigated fully. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Surgical Associates Ltd.