Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy in oral cavity at unusual age

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy: a case report

BACKGROUND

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare clinically benign, pigmented, tumor of neural crest origin which commonly occurs in the maxilla. It is a rare tumor that may pose difficulty in differentiating from other malignant round cell tumors.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 5-month-old Ethiopian infant presented with a mass on his forehead. A wide excision of the lesion was done and subjected to histopathologic evaluation. The histologic and immunohistochemistry for synaptophysin studies confirmed that the infant was having MNTI. The patient was followed and there was no sign of recurrence at the 6th and 9th months of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

MNTI should be considered as a differential diagnosis for tumors occurring in the head region in infants and prolonged follow-up may be needed to check for possible recurrence of the tumor.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy: Case report and literature review

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare benign tumor. Here, we report the diagnosis and treatment of 1 case of MNTI in the maxilla and discuss its clinical and pathological features, imaging features, treatment, and prognosis.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy: A case report and review of the surgical treatment

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare, fast-growing, benign tumor originating from the neural crest. The tumor most often occurs during the first year of life. The predilection site of MNTI is the anterior maxilla, whereas lesions of the mandible are uncommon and account for only 6% of all cases. At present, the most common treatment for MNTI is surgical resection, however, tumor recurrence arises in 10-60% of cases. The optimal extent of surgical resection is a matter of debate; rapid growth and the possibilities of malignant transformation and metastasis indicate aggressive surgical resection. However, extensive resection may interfere with post-operative growth and development. The procedure should therefore preserve as much of the surrounding tissue as possible. The present case study examines a rare case of right-sided mandibular MNTI in a two-month-old female. The association between the tumor and the surrounding sclerotin, affected dental germ and the condition of the inferior alveolar nerve, were observed during the operative and post-operative periods. In addition, previous cases of MNTI were reviewed to evaluate the optimal scope of surgical resection.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy: report of two cases and review of the literature

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy (MNTI) is an uncommon tumour affecting predominantly the craniofacial bones of the newborn infants. The neural crest origin of the tumour has been confirmed. MNTI is generally accepted as a benign tumour despite of its rapid and locally infiltrative growth. Recurrence rate varies between 10% and 60%, and malignant behaviour has been reported in 6.5% of MNTIs. Systematic review of the literature revealed 445 MNTIs published between 1918 and 2010. We present additional two cases of MNTI from our Department, typical in all terms, which equals a total number of 447 reported cases. One of our cases revealed histological features consistent with malignant behaviour, but at present, 18 months after the surgical excision, there is no evidence of recurrence. Biological behaviour of MNTI cannot be predicted by gross or histologic characteristics, thus early diagnosis and careful follow-up after the complete surgical excision is required.