Giant cell tumour (central giant cell lesion) of the maxilla

The giant cell tumour (GCT) is a benign, locally invasive lesion that accounts for about 20% of benign bone tumours. Approximately 2% of all GCTs arise in the head and neck region. Giant cell lesions in the craniofacial skeleton other than the jaws are uncommon; the majority of them occur in the sphenoid, ethmoid and temporal bones. GCT of the maxilla has seldom been described. We present the case of an 83-year-old patient with an advanced GCT of the left maxilla who underwent en bloc resection through maxillectomy. Reconstruction of the orbitary frame and maxilla was performed with autologous calvaria and a temporalis muscle pedicled flap. Our successful maxillary reconstruction based on the association between autologous calvarial bone sticks bent with titanium miniplates and a temporalis muscle pedicled flap allowed the involvement of only one donor area for both hard and soft tissues. At 1-year follow-up, our patient showed no evidence of recurrent GCT, with satisfactory aesthetic results.