[Diagnosis and management of oral melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinicopathological features of oral melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathological data of 13 cases of oral MNTI treated in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from 1980 to 2007.

RESULTS

The age of patients ranged from 2 to 7 months old. Nine lesions occurred in the maxilla, 3 in the mandible and 1 in the cheek. The most common symptom of the disease was swelling. Five tumors were found purple-reddish or blue-blackish. The neoplasm grew rapidly. Only 1 case was diagnosed as MNTI and 3 cases were diagnosed as malignant tumor before biopsy. Two of 9 cases with follow-up information recurred in one month after surgery and 1 case dead of the tumor. One case with remnants of tumor did not recur after 19 years postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Oral MNTIs appear to occur in certain locations and people of certain age. Special attention should be paid to the color of the tumor during intra-oral examination. This tumor grew rapidly and invasively and the patients require close follow-up within the first 6 months postoperatively. The pathologic differential diagnosis of MNTI should include other pediatric "small round cell" neoplasms. Conservative excision is the preferred treatment choice.