Valjarevic, Svetlana (56246443000)Svetlana (56246443000)ValjarevicRadaljac, Dejan (57397504500)Dejan (57397504500)RadaljacJovanovic, Milan B (57209619634)Milan B (57209619634)JovanovicMiladinovic, Nenad (57211992039)Nenad (57211992039)Miladinovic2025-06-122025-06-122025https://doi.org/10.1177/00258172221141252https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-86000672723&doi=10.1177%2f00258172221141252&partnerID=40&md5=4b8a592b412b028d86cdb16b95389f72https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/502The Covid-19 pandemic has created exceptional challenges for patients and medical care systems. Among many factors influencing postponed cancer diagnosis, mask-wearing created difficulties in initial diagnosis of head and neck tumours. This report features a patient who had been covering a submandibular tumour under a surgical mask for more than 6 months. He visited his general practitioner due to a significant weight loss, but he neither took his mask off, nor was he asked to do so. When he reported to our emergency room, we noticed a massive ulcerous mass in the right submandibular region. Histological examination confirmed primary squamocellular carcinoma of submandibular salivary gland. During the Covid-19 pandemic, significant clinical observations may be missed if a surgical mask or respirator are not removed during examination with the potential for increased incidence of medical malpractice claims. © The Author(s) 2023.Covid-19diagnostic delaynegligenceSubmandibular carcinoma