Pediatric Odontogenic and Maxillofacial Bone Pathology: A Global Analysis

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• Pediatric Oncology
• Dental Medicine

Background:

• Maxillary and mandibular bone pathologies are rare in young patients, presenting a broad differential diagnosis.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its classification of maxillofacial bone pathology in 2017.
• This study systematically reviews common maxillofacial bone lesions in the pediatric population based on these updated guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and classify common maxillofacial bone lesions in pediatric patients.
• To analyze the prevalence of these lesions based on the WHO 2017 classification.
• To identify geographical variations in the occurrence of specific maxillofacial bone pathologies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted for English language articles from inception to July 2020.
• Thirty-one articles detailing the frequency of maxillofacial bone pathology were identified and data extracted.
• Data were organized using the WHO 2017 classification of odontogenic and maxillofacial bone tumors, with statistical analyses performed using SAS version 9.4.

Main Results:

• The most frequent odontogenic cysts were radicular cyst (42.7%) and dentigerous cyst (39.0%).
• Among odontogenic tumors, odontoma (49.3%) was most prevalent, followed by ameloblastoma (29.1%).
• Fibrous dysplasia (42.4%) was the most common nonodontogenic tumor, and osteosarcoma (75.0%) the most common malignant tumor, with significant geographic variations observed.

Conclusions:

• This systematic review classifies common maxillofacial bone lesions in pediatric patients according to WHO 2017 guidelines.
• The review provides insights into the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and treatment options for prevalent maxillofacial bone lesions.
• Significant geographical differences in lesion prevalence highlight the need for region-specific diagnostic and treatment approaches.