A Sixteen-year Retrospective Study of Biopsied Pediatric Oral Lesions from North Kerala

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed at providing updated information on biopsied oral and maxillofacial lesions from children below 12 years, received between 2001 and 2016, from a tertiary health care center in North Kerala, India. Materials and methods:The archives of the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, India, were retrospectively analyzed over a period of 16 years (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016). Patients aged 12 years and below were considered as the pediatric population. Age, gender, site, and histopathologic diagnosis were recorded. Subjects were divided into three age groups: 0 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12 years. The oral and maxillofacial lesions were classified into eight different categories. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: Of the total 8,306 biopsied cases, 334 cases were from the pediatric population. Cases showed almost equal predilection between males (48%) and females (52%); M:F = 1:1.08. Both mandible (26.94%) and maxilla (26.05%) showed almost equal site predilection followed by lower lip (19.76%), gingiva (14.67%), and tongue (5.39%). The most common condition diagnosed individually was periapical cyst (21.86%), followed by mucocele (17.37%) and dentigerous cyst (13.17%). Regarding the diagnostic categories, most lesions were in the cystic group (37.43%) followed by the inflammatory/reactive group (31.44%) and benign odontogenic tumors (10.48%). Conclusion:This study showed similar trends as well as contradictory results when compared with other studies. This can be due to geographical and ethnic variations, difference in criteria, and difference in age groups selected.