Spectrum of oral and maxillofacial pathologies in pediatric patients: A decade-long institutional study in South Kerala.
AI interpretation is pending for this paper.
Open original publication →What the AI sees
Not AI summarized yet.
Research significance
Pending deeper interpretation.
Source abstract
BACKGROUND: Pediatric oral and maxillofacial lesions exhibit diverse clinicopathological patterns with significant geographic variation. Epidemiological data from South Kerala remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and histopathological spectrum of biopsied pediatric oral and maxillofacial lesions in a tertiary referral center in South Kerala. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using biopsy records of pediatric patients from a tertiary referral center. Histopathological diagnoses, demographic details, and lesion distribution were analyzed. Lesions were categorized according to site and pathological type, including cysts, odontogenic tumors, fibro-osseous lesions, mucosal lesions, inflammatory conditions, and malignancies. RESULTS: Pediatric lesions accounted for 4.7% of all biopsied cases, a prevalence slightly higher than earlier regional reports but comparable with global observations. An equal male-to-female distribution was noted. The lower lip was the most commonly affected site, followed by the maxilla, which showed greater involvement than the mandible. Mucocele was the most frequent lesion overall, while dentigerous cyst was the most common odontogenic cyst. Odontoma emerged as the predominant odontogenic tumor, and unicystic ameloblastoma was the commonest ameloblastoma subtype. Osteomyelitis represented the leading bone pathology, whereas fibrous dysplasia was the most frequent fibro-osseous lesion. Among mucosal lesions, squamous papilloma predominated. Rare malignant lesions included a case of pediatric squamous cell carcinoma. Four post-pandemic cases of pediatric Sjögren's syndrome were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the varied spectrum of pediatric oral lesions and regional epidemiological patterns in South Kerala, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis, histopathological evaluation, and multicentric studies for improved understanding and management.