Pediatric Tumors of Oral and Maxillofacial Region- Clinical Diagnosis and Management

A wide variety of oral lesions and soft tissue abnormalities are detected in children but the low frequencies at which many of these lesions occur in head and neck region make them challenging to clinically diagnose. Occasionally oral lesions associated with several genetic disorders, specific malignancies or systemic diseases which mimic benign or inflammatory conditions might go unnoticed or neglected in routine practices. Surprisingly most paediatric pathologies of oral cavity are benign in nature and do not require extensive surgical intervention. On the other hand, Head and neck malignancies are relatively rare and represent only 12% of all malignancies which require immediate care and rehabilitation. The objective of this chapter is to give a brief on clinical, histological and radiographic aspects of the most common and relevant oral lesions that affect the paediatric population.