Clinical and Histopathological Profiles of Pediatric and Adolescent Oral and Maxillofacial Biopsies in a Persian Population

Introduction The frequency of pediatric and adolescent oral and maxillofacial lesions is various in different societies. The present study was aimed at investigating the frequency of oral and maxillofacial pediatric and adolescent biopsies in Zahedan, Southeastern Iran, and compare the results with other epidemiologic studies. Methods and Materials This retrospective study reviewed oral and maxillofacial lesions in patients aged 0-18 years old referring to the treatment centers of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, during 12-years period. Patients’ demographic information including age, gender and location of the lesion were collected and statistically analyzed with SPSS software, version 19. Results In general, among 1112 oral and maxillofacial lesions, 154 (13.9%) cases were related to children and adolescents younger than 18 years old. The average age of patients was 11.4 ± 4.9, 53.2% and 46.8% of them were boys and girls, respectively. The most frequent sites of lesions were the gingiva and lip. The most prevalent lesions included inflammatory/reactive, cystic and neoplastic lesions, respectively. Benign and malignant tumors comprised 12.3% and 4.5% of cases. Moreover, pyogenic granuloma and Peripheral Giant Cell Granuloma (PGCG) were the most frequent lesions. Conclusion The most prevalent oral and maxillofacial lesions in patients under 18 years old were inflammatory/reactive lesions in gingiva and in the 13-18 age range. Determining the characteristics of these lesions in the children and adolescents population provides a firm groundwork for proper diagnosis and treatment.