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Esophageal malignancy encompasses a group of diseases that are mostly represented by the squamous cell carcinoma and the adenocarcinoma. Quite frequently, these neoplasms present aggressive behavior; therefore, the diagnosis is often made when the condition is in advanced stages. Dysphagia is the typical clinical complaint, although it is present only when most of the lumen is obstructed. Therefore, quite often, the metastatic disease is first diagnosed, which contributes to the patient's poor survival expectancy. The authors report the case of a 58-year-old man who looked for medical care complaining of a long-term history of scapular pain. The diagnostic work-up disclosed a cervical spine lytic lesion surrounded by a tumoral mass shown by computed tomography. The cervical tumor was sampled by fine needle aspiration, revealing an undifferentiated carcinoma. The outcome was unfavorable and the patient died. The autopsy findings revealed metastatic disease to the spine and central nervous system, and the primary tumor was found to be an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which had progressed without typical dysphagia.

The squamous odontogenic tumor (SOT) is a rare, benign, locally infiltrative neoplasm of the jaws that appears to originate from the rests of Malassez, gingival surface epithelium or from remnants of the dental lamina. SOT was first described by Pullon et al. (1975). Since then there has been paucity in the number of reported cases, especially in the Indian subcontinent. The tumor is often asymptomatic, although it can present with symptoms of pain and tooth mobility. The characteristic radiographic appearance is that of a triangular-shaped unilocular radiolucency associated with the roots of erupted, vital teeth and has a predilection for the anterior maxilla and the posterior mandible. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by the formation of variably sized nests and cords of uniform, benign-appearing, squamous epithelium with occasional vacuolization and keratinization. We report a case of SOT occurring in a 58-year-old male in the anterior mandible with unusual localization and appearance.