Summary
Malignant head and neck disease in the pediatric population are rare. Considering all head and neck tumors, both benign and malignant, they represent between 2% to 5% of all pediatric tumors. At the level of the jaws, malignant tumors in children present in a range that varies from 7% to 51%. In Chile, fewer than 500 new cases are reported each year and in the 5 to 15 year-range are estimated to constitute the second cause of death, preceded by accidents, injuries and violence. When studying this group of diseases it is important to consider the differences with adult tumors, both in incidence, biology, behavior, histology and management. Therefore we believe it necessary to conduct a review of scientific literature to obtain a profile of child oral maxillofacial cancer, contributing to the understanding and implementation of appropriate programs in the context of maxillofacial health. In addition, we seek to update knowledge of these pathologies, characterizing their epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment, so as to contribute to dental surgeons for diagnosis and early referrals to specialized centers for oral pathology. For a detailed study, this review will consist of three parts: the first is on “malignant bone tumors”, included among these are: osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and fibrosarcoma.
KEY WORDS: maxillofacial cancer, childhood cancer, malignant tumors, bone tissue.
How to cite this article
BECERRA, F.; REHBEIN, J.; FERNÁNDEZ, A.; MARSHALL, M. & ESGUEP, A. oromaxillofacial cancer in children: part I hard tissue malignant tumors. Int. J. Odontostomat., 9(2):307-312, 2015.