An unusual intraoral mass in a child: the organ of Chievitz

A 5-year-old girl presented with a hard, asymptomatic, fixed mass protruding intraorally at the level of the ascending ramus of the mandible on the right. Plain roentgenograms of the jaw, panorex, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance scan of the area failed to demonstrate any lesion. An incisional biopsy showed neuroectodermal tissue with a pattern characteristic of the juxtaoral organ of Chievitz. At 2 years follow-up, the residual mass remains the same. The organ of Chievitz is a normal structure that can be frequently identified at routine autopsy if sought for, but is seldom large enough to present as a mass. A conservative biopsy without further treatment is recommended when the clinical diagnosis is in doubt.