Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia: Retrospective Study on the Relationship Between the Tumor Volume Changes and the Circulating Serum Calcitonin and Serum Alkaline Phosphatase.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and calcitonin in the follow-up of tumor volume changes in patients with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia.

METHODS

Twenty patients with isolated craniofacial fibrous dysplasia were included, who met our criteria for long-term follow-up. Three-dimensional computed tomography scans were obtained, and tumor segmentation was performed. The tumor volume was measured preoperatively, immediate postoperative and during long-term follow-up. Serum ALP and calcitonin levels were obtained at the same times to assess their correlation with tumor volumes.

RESULTS

Preoperative calcitonin levels were correlated with the presence of tumor (P = 0.0442), whereas ALP levels were not (P = 0.1125). There were no significant associations between tumor volume and ALP or calcitonin levels in the preoperative or postoperative periods. During long-term follow-up, serum ALP was significantly associated with tumor recurrence (P = 0.0096), but serum calcitonin was not (P = 0.4760). However, serum levels of ALP did not reflect the tumor volume changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum ALP may be useful as a laboratory test for follow-up of patients with isolated craniofacial fibrous dysplasia. However, it cannot represent the tumor's volume changes and 3-dimensional computed tomography scans with tumor volume measurement are mandatory for detecting significant volume changes during follow-up. Investigation of the serum calcitonin in the preoperative period is also recommended on a large scale because it was related to the presence of the tumor.