Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor in the Maxillofacial Region: A Diagnostic Dilemma

Oncogenic osteomalacia is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome and is associated with the presence of phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) which results in renal phosphate wasting with hypophosphatemia. In total, 95% of cases reported in upper and lower extremities and in head and neck are a rare site for these tumors. Besides osteomalacia, the clinical presentation includes bone pain and multiple bone fractures. Only fewer cases of PMT are reported in the oral cavity. The presentation of this rare case in a young patient was palatal swelling mimicking like an abscess which was clinically and by advanced imaging evaluated and histopathological findings confirmed the rare presentation. Following the surgical excision, the serum level of FGF23 rapidly decreased, hypophosphatemia improved, and the clinical symptoms greatly improved. The result suggests that the overexpressed FGF23 primary tumor in the palate was the cause of osteomalacia which is a rare entity.