Malignant orofacial neoplasms in children and adolescents: a clinicopathologic review of cases in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine the relative frequency of orofacial malignant neoplasm in children and adolescents.

METHODS

A retrospective review of malignant orofacial tumours in children and adolescents <or=19 years from January 1992 to December 2003 from the records of the Department of Oral Pathology and Biology of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria was carried out. All the cases were analysed for age, gender, site distribution and histologic types.

RESULTS

A total of 353 tumours and tumour-like lesions of the orofacial region were seen in patients <or=19 years during the period of the study. Of these, 47 (13.3%) were malignant tumours. This represented 3.3% (47 out of 1431) of all the tumours and tumour-like lesions seen during the period. The mean age (S.D.) of patients was 11.0 (+/-4.5) years (range, 2.5-19 years). Male-to-female ratio was 2.9:1. Burkitt's lymphoma (38.3%) was the most frequent malignant tumours. Lymphomas (53.2%) were the most common malignancy, followed by sarcomas (36.2%) and carcinomas (10.6%). Carcinomas exclusively affected patients in the 2nd decade of life and were predominantly glandular carcinomas. Osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma were the most common sarcomas. Burkitt's lymphoma (72%) occurring mostly in the first decade of life was the most common lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Malignant neoplasm constituted 13.3% of orofacial tumours and tumour-like lesions in children and adolescent in our centre. In agreement with previous reports from Africa, Burkitt's lymphoma is the most common malignant tumour and carcinoma is relative rare in this age group.