PURPOSE: To survey oral and maxillofacial lesions biopsied in a Brazilian pediatric hospital. METHODS: Biopsy records over a 16-year period (1992-2008) were retrieved from the files of the Anatomy and Pathology Service, Hospital Presidente Dutra, Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil. Pediatric cases patients aged 16 years old or younger were selected. Oral and maxillofacial diagnoses were grouped into 10 categories, and lesions were evaluated for age, gender, anatomic location and pathological diagnosis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of a total of 3,550 pediatric biopsies, 88 cases (2.48%) were located in oral or maxillofacial sites. Similar incidence rates were observed between the genders and the prevalence of lesions was highest in the permanent dentition period (>12-16 years old). Maxilla was the most commonly affected anatomic location. As regards the diagnostic categories, the highest number of lesions was in the hyperplastic/reactive category. The most frequently encountered lesions were inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia and mucocele. Malignant lesions were rarely described. CONCLUSION: This study shows a similar trend to that reported in previous studies on the most frequent oral and maxillofacial lesions found in the pediatric population. The majority of lesions detected were benign, and malignant lesions were diagnosed in a very low number of patients.
Pathology; epidemiology; children
