Giant Cell Tumor of the Mandible

Abstract

A 53-year-old woman presented with left mandibular area pain, trismus, and facial numbness that had persisted for 4 years. Physical examination revealed a 3×5 cm, hard, non-tender, and round mass on the left mandibular area. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an expansile tumor involving the left mandibular ramus and temporomandibular joint area with bone destruction, extending to the base of middle cranial fossa and left zygomatic bone. The mass at the segment of left mandible and zygomatic bone, and base of middle cranial fossa was removed. Pathological examination of the mass revealed a giant cell tumor. The defect was reconstructed with iliac bone for the mandible and temporal bone and fascia for the cranial bone and dura. The case is described along with a review of the literature.

Surgical Management of Giant Cell Tumors in Temporomandibular Joint Region Involving Lateral Skull Base: A Multidisciplinary Approach

“…14,15 GCTs arising in the head and neck are rare entities, constituting about 2% of all GCTs, with the majority occurring in the mandible, sphenoid, or temporal bones. 16,17 The preference of the latter two bones was due in part to the fact that both the sphenoid bone and petromastoid portions of the temporal bone arise from endochondral ossification, similar to the process of long bone formation. 18 The expansile nature of GCTs and the proximity to the skull base are both responsible for the frequent involvement of the intracranial vital structures.…”

“…Compared with GCTs of the long bones, GCTs of the skull base are more likely to invade soft tissues. 16,21 The local aggressiveness of such disease can be partially explained by the radiologic findings. In terms of the CT or MRI scans in our cases, GCTs in the skull base usually manifest apparent cortical destruction and wide areas of cortical thinning.…”

Giant Cell Tumors of the Skull Base: Case Series and Current Concepts

“…Histopathologically, GCTs must also be differentiated from chondroblastomas, chondromyxoid fibromas, aneurysmal bone cysts, nonossifying fibroma, fibrous dysplasias, pigmented villonodular synovitis, foreign body reactions and the brown tumors associated with hyperparathyroidism. When an aggressive growth pattern is evident, one should consider the possibility of chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytomas and a metastatic lesion until confirmation by histological examination [Park et al, 2012]. The malignant variant of GCT is rarely to be the first diagnosis but it must be borne in mind when there is a history of previous radiotherapy and when there are features of distant metastasis.…”

Palatal Swelling: A Diagnostic Enigma

“…Giant cell tumor of bone causes localised severe intractable epistaxis, proptosis, visual defects, hearing loss, tinnitus, reduced joint mobility, and swelling [12]. In our patient, lesion arising from palatal region of maxilla showed pain, swelling of involved region with oozing of blood, and difficulty in swallowing.…”