Infant Odontogenic Myxoma: A specific entity

Abstract

Introduction

In children, and specifically in infants, odontogenic myxomas are extremely rare. In infants, myxoma seems to display mostly the same clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics. This paper presents a series of odontogenic myxomas in infant patients.

Materials and methods

Four infant patients were included in this retrospective study. The clinical, radiological and pathological presentation was characterized and the treatment analysed.

Results

All patients presented with a rapidly evolving paranasal swelling. CT-scan showed a maxillary homogeneous unilocular and intraosseous tumour. In all cases, pathological examination revealed a loose myxoid stroma within stellate and spindle shaped cells. All patients underwent conservative surgery through a vestibular approach.

Conclusion

This patient series and a review of the literature demonstrates that odontogenic myxoma is specific in infant. We propose the name of Infant Odontogenic Myxoma for this entity.

Introduction

Myxoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumour which can occur in many sites (Allen, 2000, Iatrou et al., 2012). In the jaw they are considered as odontogenic myxomas. Most odontogenic myxomas occur in the maxilla and mandible of adults in the third decade of life (Simon et al., 2004, Leiser et al., 2009). In children, and specifically in infants, odontogenic myxoma is uncommon, with only a few cases described in infants under the age of 2 years (Kansy et al., 2012). In the literature, myxoma in infants displays mostly the same clinical and radiological presentation (Kansy et al., 2012). This paper presents a series of odontogenic myxomas of infancy, treated in our department of paediatric maxillofacial surgery, and defines their clinical and radiological characteristics and optimal treatment.