title: Unusual case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in maxilla.
abstract: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare lesion found mostly in children and young adults and originates from the lung, abdominopelvic region, and retroperitoneum. Clinical manifestations of IMT or imaging are nonspecific and diagnosis is based on histopathological and immunohistochemical findings. Minority of all IMTs will metastasize. IMT in the oral cavity is an extreme rarity and this is a first case report of IMT in maxilla causing delayed tooth eruption and multiple cervical root resorption with an 11-year-old child. The IMT reported here was positive for smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK1) with immunohistochemistry. Only three IMTs of the jaws have been reported so far and none of them had delayed root eruption and tooth resorption. This unusual case of IMT in a child was also ALK1- positive supporting neoplastic origin of her tumor. The case presented here underscores the importance of histopathological examination of the tissue found in any root resorption especially in the case of multiple resorptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 2, 20520 Turku, Finland ; Cell Biology Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Room 7142, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8.
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautava
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soukka
authors.forename: Esko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peltonen
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nurmenniemi
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallajoki
authors.forename: Stina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Syrjänen