Odontogenic myxoma in a child treated with enucleation and curettage

Abstract

Odontogenic myxoma is an aggressive benign odontogenic tumor, accounting for 3-6% of all the odontogenic tumors in adults. The incidence among children is lower. Due to its clinical behavior, there is no consensus on the best treatment. In this paper, the authors report the case of a 9-year-old girl with the diagnosis of odontogenic myxoma. The panoramic X-ray showed an extensive radiolucent lesion involving the left mandibular body causing teeth displacement. The treatment consisted of tumor enucleation followed by vigorous curettage of the bone walls. Both the base of the mandible and the inferior alveolar nerve were preserved. The patient is asymptomatic after 6 months of surgery. The age of the patient and the radiographic features were taken into account when deciding in favor of the conservative treatment.