Recurrent osteoblastoma of the maxilla

Osteoblastoma is a benign neoplasm which commonly occurs in the vertebral column and long bones. The tumour grows slowly and rarely recurs after surgery. This report presents the clinicopathological and radiological findings of a case of recurrent osteoblastoma in the maxilla. A 7-year-old male patient visited our department with chief complaints of left facial swelling and pain. A panoramic radiograph showed a homogeneous radio-opaque expansile lesion in the left maxilla. The lesion was thought to be fibrous dysplasia and the patient underwent a surgical excision using the Caldwell-Luc procedure. Histopathological examination of the lesion confirmed it as benign osteoblastoma. The lesion recurred 6 months after the initial surgery. CT images revealed a large mass with multiple internal calcifications. Subsequently, the patient underwent mass excision with subtotal left maxillectomy. Follow-up CT scans at 1 year intervals showed no recurrence for 5 years.