An unusual case of multiple intraoral manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1: case report with literature review

Oral Mucosal Lesions in Childhood

Childhood diseases are a continuous source of interest in all areas of general and dental medicine. Congenital, developmental, and hereditary diseases may either be present upon birth or appear in early childhood. Developmental anomalies, although often asymptomatic, may become grounds for different infections. Furthermore, they can indicate certain systemic disorders. Childhood age frequently brings about benign tumors and different types of traumatic lesions to the oral mucosa. Traumatic lesions can be caused by chemical, mechanical, or thermal injury. Mucocele and ranula are, by definition, traumatic injuries of the salivary glands or their ducts. Recurrent aphthous lesions are the most common type of ulcerations in childhood, and their etiology is considered multifactorial. Oral mucosal lesions in children require different treatment approaches depending on etiological factors and clinical presentation. Clinicians should have adequate knowledge of oral anatomy in order to diagnose and treat pathological conditions.

Neurofibromatosis type I in children: a case report and literature review

Neurofibromatosis is an autosomal dominant genetic disease that originates from neuroepithelial tissue and involves disorders of ectoderm and mesoderm. At present, there are relatively few reports of neurofibroma type I in children. Therefore, understanding the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of neurofibromatosis is of great significance to the occurrence and development of neurofibroma type I. This study is a case of and literature review of neurofibromatosis type I in children.

Solitary neurofibroma of the floor of the mouth: rare localization at lingual nerve with intraoral excision

Background

Neurofibromas (NF) are benign tumors of the peripheral nerves that are composed of Schwann cells, perineural-like cells and fibroblasts. The differential diagnosis for a solitary intraneural variant of neurofibroma arising in the floor of the mouth is broad and includes a submandibular gland neoplasm and adenopathy, among others. The intraoral approach is the best choice for a medium-sized lesion.

Case presentation

We report a rare case of a solitary neurofibroma of the floor of the mouth in a 31-year-old male. The patient consulted the dental emergency department for acute pain of the left mandible. Systematic clinical examination revealed the presence of a mass in the left mouth floor. The panoramic x-ray was not conclusive and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-defined soft tissue lesion with homogenous isosignal intensity on the T1-weighted image, high intensity signal on the T2-weighted image and heterogeneous enhancement following contrast-enhancement on the T1-weighted Fast Sat image. The surgical excision of the soft-tissue neoplasm was accomplished by an intraoral approach. The specimen was sent for histopathologic analysis and Immunohistochemical studies which confirmed the diagnosis of a myxoid predominant intraneural solitary neurofibroma.

Conclusion

The diagnosis of neurofibroma was confirmed by histopathological evaluation and immunohistochemical studies which also excluded other entities in the histopathologic differential diagnosis including schwannoma and a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor among other. Localized (solitary) neurofibromas most often occur as sporadic lesions, however; diagnosis of a solitary neurofibroma prompts clinical evaluation to exclude the remote possibility of neurofibromatosis. The purpose of this case report is to raise awareness of the uncommon presentation of neurofibroma and to document the successful management of such a lesion using an intraoral approach.

Decayed, missing, and restored teeth in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Background

NF1 is a relatively frequently occurring autosomal dominant inherited disease. There are conflicting reports about oral health status in NF1. The aim of this study was to analyze the dental status of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

Material and Methods

Radiographs of 179 patients with NF1 were analyzed for decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) in a cross-sectional, retrospective study. The results were compared to age- and sex-matched controls of individuals not affected by NF1. The NF1 group was differentiated for facial tumor type and localization.

Results

Missing teeth were more frequently registered in the NF1 group. On the other hand, decayed teeth were more frequent in the reference group. However, these findings had to be interpreted with caution, because the type and localization of the facial tumor affected the measured values.

Conclusions

Dental health in terms of DMFT differed between NF1 patients and the control group. The presented results indicate the need for special care in dentistry in NF1 patients in order to preserve dental health, particularly in individuals affected with certain types of facial tumors.

Key words:DMFT index, neurofibromatosis type 1, plexiform neurofibroma, oral health.