Myofibromas of the jaws in children.
OBJECTIVE
Controversy exists as to the most appropriate treatment strategy for myofibromas of the jaws: en bloc resection versus enucleation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the treatment outcomes in children with these uncommon benign tumors.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with jaw myofibromas. The predictor variables included patient demographics, clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, pathologic features, treatment, and follow-up. The outcome variable was cure or recurrence. The descriptive statistics were computed.


RESULTS
A total of 12 patients (mean age 6.7 years) met the inclusion criteria. There were 2 presentations: exophytic soft tissue mass in dentoalveolar segment (n = 5); and intraosseous mass (n = 7). No distinct histopathologic differences were found between the 2 groups. Exophytic myofibromas displayed rapid growth, tooth displacement and/or mobility, bony expansion, and/or cortical thinning/perforation. Most were treated by resection. The intraosseous lesions were asymptomatic and/or incidentally discovered. They were treated by enucleation and curettage. The mean follow-up for the 2 groups was 6.5 and 3.9 years, respectively. There were no recurrences.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study indicate that there are 2 clinical presentations of myofibromas of the jaws in children: an aggressive exophytic type and a nonaggressive intraosseous type. They are histopathologically indistinguishable.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Attending Surgeon, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02445, USA. shelly.abramowicz@childrens.harvard.edu
Shelly
S
Abramowicz
Lisa E
LE
Simon
Harry P
HP
Kozakewich
Antonio R
AR
Perez-Atayde
Leonard B
LB
Kaban
Bonnie L
BL
Padwa
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003475:Curettage / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000473:pathology; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008938:Mitosis; D047708:Myofibroma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000473:pathology; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012391:Root Resorption / Q000473:pathology; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000199:Actins