A Ten Year Retrospective Survey of Childhood Oro-facial Neoplasms In A Nigerian Population

Abstract

Background
Reports in the literature on childhood orofacial neoplasms do not seem to agree on a prevalent pathology, with several authors expressing a divide on the prevalence of orofacial malignancies.
Objective
To review the relevant clinico-pathologic features of neoplasms of the orofacial region amongst children in a Nigerian population.
Materials and method
A 10 year retrospective clinico-histopathologic survey of orofacial neoplasms in children aged 14 years and below seen in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The cases of histologically-diagnosed orofacial neoplasms seen during the period were retrieved and analysed based on the following: age, sex, site of lesion and histopathological diagnosis. Histologically, these conditions were divided into benign odontogenic, benign non-odontogenic and malignant orofacial tumours. Data were analysed using SPSS for windows version 17.0.
Results
One hundred and fifty–two cases of histologicallydiagnosed orofacial neoplasms were reported over the ten year period. There was a male gender preponderance of 56.6%; with a male : female ratio of 1.3:1. A total of 57.2% of the cases reported were benign non odontogenic orofacial and 5.9% of all childhood orofacial neoplasms). Fibrous, osseous lesions; comprising ossifying fibroma and fibrous dysplasia were the most common childhood orofacial neoplasms reported.
Conclusion
Clinico-pathological characteristics in this series are similar to previous findings in scientific literature; with this study revealing a low prevalence of childhood orofacial malignancies in Nigerians.

Key words: Childhood, orofacial, neoplasm.