Frequency and Characteristics of Craniomaxillofacial Tumors: A Five-Year Retrospective Institutional Study

<b>Background:</b> Hospital-based data can complement registry estimates for cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) oncology, particularly in under-reported regions. We aimed to describe the institutional case-mix of CMF tumor diagnoses, standardized to ICD-10 sites, and to quantify trends using visit-normalized indicators. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a retrospective, observational, single-center, hospital-based study of diagnosis-level encounters (2012-2016). Diagnoses were recoded to ICD-10 and restricted to CMF sites (lip, oral cavity, major salivary glands, oropharynx/hypopharynx, nasal cavity/middle ear, paranasal sinuses, eye/adnexa). The primary indicator uses a strict CMF set (malignant CMF codes plus D00.0 and D14.1); odontogenic cysts and non-neoplastic jaw lesions (K09-K10) were excluded, while benign CMF neoplasms are reported descriptively for site distributions. <b>Results:</b> We identified 2729 malignant CMF diagnoses over 2012-2016, peaking in 2014 (<i>n</i> = 751) and lowest in 2016 (<i>n</i> = 367). The combined malignant rate (per 1000 total visits) was 30.6, 43.9, 52.6, 34.4, and 26.7 for 2012→2016. The proportion of malignancies within the strict CMF set was 99.2%, 97.3%, 97.9%, 96.8%, and 95.1%, respectively (overall 97.4%). The most frequent malignant sites cumulatively were the palate (<i>n</i> = 416), parotid gland (<i>n</i> = 376), floor of mouth (<i>n</i> = 344), gingiva (<i>n</i> = 282), and mouth, unspecified (<i>n</i> = 179). <b>Conclusions:</b> After ICD-10 recoding and restriction to CMF sites, malignant tumors predominated within the institutional, diagnosis-level case-mix, with a 2014 peak followed by a decline. These indicators are case-mix monitors and not population incidences; interpretation should consider coding practices and service-mix changes across years.