Numb chin syndrome

Numb chin syndrome (NCS), also known as mental neuropathy, is a sensory neuropathy characterized by numbness involving the distribution of the mental nerve and is an uncommon, but underappreciated neuropathy. The clinical importance lies in its frequent association with malignancies, particularly lymphoma and breast cancer. We report a 30-year-old patient who presented with bilateral numb chin for few days for which no cause was found. Over 3 weeks, he developed systemic symptoms and neck swelling. Investigations revealed low platelet count, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. Biopsy of the swelling and Bone marrow confirmed Burkitt′s lymphoma. Imaging studies confirmed intracranial and hepatic metastasis. Within few days of initiation of therapy, patient succumbed to the disease. Here, we would like to emphasize that all clinicians should be aware of this entity and investigate thoroughly to rule out underlying malignancies as delay in diagnosis leads to the adverse outcome