Maxillofacial metastases: a retrospective review of one institution's 15-year experience.

PURPOSE: Metastasis to the maxillofacial region is a rare occurrence. In our retrospective study of patients with metastasis to the maxillofacial region, the subjects were evaluated to define the clinical behavior patterns in response to the treatment given. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective record review during a 15-year period (1990 to 2005) was conducted. The patients were selected for inclusion in the present study if they had histologically confirmed maxillofacial metastases. RESULTS: In our retrospective study, during the 15-year period, 1,221 new patients with maxillofacial/oral cancer were seen and evaluated. Of these 1,221 patients, 26 (16 men and 10 women) were identified as having a histologically confirmed metastasis to the maxillofacial region, for an incidence of 2.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with metastasis to the maxillofacial region are often deemed to not be surgical candidates because of the extensive nature of the metastatic disease. We believe that surgical intervention plays a beneficial role in improving quality of life in a properly selected group of patients with metastasis to the maxillofacial region. In our case series, surgery was performed in about 50% of the patients, and palliation and radiotherapy were the most commonly used modalities.

Pediatric Odontogenic Tumors.

Pediatric odontogenic tumors are rare, and are often associated with impacted teeth. Although they can develop anywhere in the jaws, odontogenic tumors mainly occur in the posterior mandible. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of the most common pediatric odontogenic tumors, such as ameloblastoma, keratocystic odontogenic tumor, odontoma, and cementoblastoma.

Rapid-onset postchemoradiotherapy rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillofacial region.

Radiation-induced sarcomas of the head and neck are rare and tend to occur decades after treatment. We report a case of rapid-onset postchemoradiotherapy rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillofacial region and briefly review the literature.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy Rosai-Dorfman disease: a unique case presentation.

Rosai and Dorfman first described sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML) in 1969 with an article detailing 4 cases in which they differentiated this disease entity from the grouping of diseases categorized as histiocytosis X, where it was previously classified. Also known as Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD), it is clinically characterized as massive, painless, bilateral, symmetric cervical lymphadenopathy, with fever and leukocytosis. An 11-year-old African American boy was referred to our clinic for extraction of a severely decayed tooth #30 and evaluation of a large right-sided neck mass. Initially, the patient had been seen by his general dentist who had diagnosed the mass as an odontogenic abscess. After 2 courses of different antibiotics, no changes in the mass were noted. Subsequently, the patient was sent to the emergency department where CT revealed multiple right-sided neck masses with the largest measuring 4 × 2 cm. The patient underwent an incisional biopsy by otolaryngology and a diagnosis of necrotic lymph tissue was made. Upon our examination, the carious tooth #30 was felt to be an incidental finding and fine-needle aspiration cytology of the largest mass was performed in 2 places. This also provided a diagnosis of necrotic lymph tissue. In concert with the patient and his mother, the decision was made to excise the mass because of psychosocial concerns. A massive right-sided lymph node attached to the submandibular gland was found and excised without complication. Histologic examination with S-100 stain confirmed a diagnosis of RDD. The patient healed well following surgery and has experienced no further lymphadenopathy. This case presentation and review of the literature is unique, as the patient presented with unilateral cervical lymphadenopathy only. Open biopsy and 2 fine-needle aspirations all returned as necrotic lymph tissue. Obtaining the correct diagnosis was additionally hampered by coincidental dental pathology on the affected side and final diagnosis was made only by excisional biopsy, which is not necessarily indicated in cases of RDD.

Brown tumor as a result of hyperparathyroidism in an end-stage renal disease patient.

A 49-year-old male with known history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) presents with an intraoral exophytic mass of the right mandible. This lesion was given a histologic diagnosis of a Brown tumor. Purpose. To allow physicians to include this lesion in a differential diagnosis when evaluating patients with primary, secondary, or tertiary hyperparathyroidism.

Metastatic tumors to the oral cavity: a clinical study of 18 cases.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features of 18 cases of metastatic tumors to the oral cavity. The files of patients seen between 1992 and 2009 with oral (soft tissue and jawbones) metastatic lesions were reviewed. Clinical features, including gender, age, site of the primary tumor, site of metastatic tumor and treatment were evaluated. Patients were 11 males and 7 females, with mean age of 64.6 years. In males, most primary tumors originated in the lungs. In females, the lung and breast were the most common sites of the primary tumors. The mandible was the main site for the development of the metastatic lesions and the most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma. Treatment modalities included radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical resection. Metastatic lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions, particularly when a previous history of cancer is present.

Primary histiocytic sarcoma arising in the head and neck with predominant spindle cell component.

This is the first case report of Histiocytic Sarcoma (HS) with predominant spindle cell component occurring in the head and neck region of a 41-year-old man. The tumor was composed of sheets of large round to oval cells with pleomorphic vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Multinucleated forms, numerous mitoses, and tumor necrosis were also noted. Sheets, fascicles, and whorls of spindle cells with spindled to ovoid vesicular nuclei, small to medium-sized distinct nucleoli, and eosinophilic cytoplasm were frequently observed. Immunohistochemical staining in the tumor cells was positive for CD163, CD68, lysozyme, CD45, and NSE. Focal expression of CD4 and S-100 was also noted. Electron microscopy demonstrated an abundance of lysosomes in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Chromosome study revealed a 57-80 hyperdiploid [7]/46, XY [13] karyotype, including 3 to 4 copies of various chromosomes. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings confirmed the diagnosis of HS.