Anesthesia of the chin tuft
The reason for consultation seemingly mundane and more common in men (“Doctor, I do not feel anything when I shave”) is actually very disturbing.
This anesthesia is due to invasion of the inferior alveolar nerve by a tumor process and this nerve is compressed quickly as it is located in a canal in the lower jaw bone in large part, so inextensible.
It must first seek an acute blood disorder such as acute leukemia or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (Burkitt’s lymphoma in particular). The blood smear, measuring LDH and beta-2 microglobulin, bone marrow aspiration or biopsy of a possible lymphadenopathy will quickly guide the diagnosis.
It just also be metastasis of cancer, in particular breast in women. Knowing the primary cancer, the tumor markers, the thoraco-abdominal CT are the first descrambling elements.
Exceptionally, the sign of the chin tuft may be related to a benign inflammatory disease, but the practical attitude is not to minimize this symptom and actively seek a neoplastic disease.
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