Childhood myxomas of the head and neck

Childhood myxomas of the head and neck are rare, benign, locally invasive tumors. They present great difficulties in histological diagnosis and because of their tendency to recur, present great difficulties in treatment. The combination of vital structures in the head and neck and longevity in children places the head and neck surgeon in a difficult position when determining how radical treatment should be. From a review of the literature and our own experience with four cases, the treatment of choice was found to be surgical resection with tissue margins checked by frozen section and modified by consideration of function and cosmetic appearance. Recurrence occurs in approximately one-third of these patients, but careful longterm follow-up will aid in early detection and local re-excision.