1 SUPRAMANDIBULAR FACIAL LYMPH NODES DISSECTION IN PATIENTS WITH CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITYT AND ITS IMPACT ON FUNCTION OF MARGINAL MANDIBULAR NERVE Hosam Abd El-Kader El-Fol, M.D 1 ; Galal Beheiri D.D.S 2 ; Abdallah Khalil, M.D. 3 ; Mohamed Kobaisi, M.D. 4 , Mostafa El-Haddad, M.D 5 Author Affiliation: 1 Department of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Menofia University 2 Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Oral & Dental Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt 3 Department of Pathology, Kasr El-Einy Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt 4 Department of Pathology, National Institute of Nephrology & Urology, Cairo, Egypt 5 Department of Clinical Oncology, Kasr El-Einy Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt Abstract: Background: Facial lymph nodes are one of the unusual sites of lymph node metastases. Supramandibular facial lymph nodes (SFLNs) is group of facial LN might be affected in head and neck malignancies and SSC of oral cavity. Objective: This prospective study investigated possible involvement of SFLNs in cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Patients and Methods: This study involved 48 neck dissections obtained from 47 patients (30 males and 17 females) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity without locoregional recurrence or distant metastases. The tumor site was the tongue (n = 15), mucosa of alveolar margin of the mandible (n = 11), buccal mucosa (n = 11), retromolar (n = 6), floor of mouth (n = 3) and mucosa of alveolar margin of the maxilla (n = 2). Results: Histopathological examination of the removed SFLN nodes proved positive for metastasis in 10 neck dissections; 5 cases (45.5%) of the lower alveolar margin, 4 cases of buccal mucosa (36.4%) and 1 case of the tongue (6.7%). There was a trend towards SFLN involvement with higher T stage (p = 0.023) and grade (p = 0.007). Positive cervical nodal involvement was significantly associated with SFLN positivity (p < 0.001). Conclusion: SFLN is a probable site of lymph node metastases in SCC of the buccal mucosa and lower alveolar margin. Careful dissection above the lower margin of the mandible can safely remove these nodes without significant injury of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve.