Fibromatosis of the oral and paraoral region

The fibromatoses represent a group of infiltrating fibrous proliferations that exhibit a clinical behavior and biologic potential intermediate between benign fibrous lesions and fibrosarcoma. The head and neck region is a common site of involvement for these lesions especially in children and young adults. However, the oral structures per se are not often the site of origin. In this study of 31 cases of fibromatosis that involved the oral and paraoral region, patient ages ranged from birth to 51 years with 74% appearing in the first decade. The most common clinical presentation was a painless mass that involved the cheek, tongue, or submandibular region. Erosion of bone was a frequent finding in lesions arising in soft tissue contiguous with the jaws. After surgical excision, lesions recurred in five patients for a recurrence rate of 23.8%. One lesion recurred twice. The average interval from initial treatment to recurrence was 7.6 months. The recurrence rate observed in this series is significantly lower than that generally reported for fibromatosis of the head and neck (50% to 70%). This is most likely due to the exclusion in this investigation of lesions in the supraclavicular region.