Giant cemento-ossifying fibroma of the maxilla

Fibro-osseous lesions of the skull and facial bones are benign tumors, but they can be mistaken for malignant tumors due to their clinically aggressive behavior. Cemento-ossifying fibroma (COF) is a benign fibro-osseous lesion characterized by slow growth and fibrous and calcified tissue content. COFs are locally destructive lesions causing deformities in the bones. The recurrence risk is high if they are not completely removed.

In this case report we describe a giant COF mimicking chondrosarcoma in the oral cavity of a 55-year-old woman causing significant facial deformity and feeding problems.

Giant COF occurs rarely in the jaws and given that this lesion has similar imaging and clinical features to several other tumors, the diagnosis is always a challenge for clinicians, radiologists and pathologists.