Prevalence of Orofacial Tumors among Children in a Tertiary Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Oral and maxillofacial tumours seen in children and adolescents often impact the functional, cosmetic, and psychosocial aspects of their lives due to their location. In recent years, the incidence of head and neck tumours in children has been on the rise. These tumours can lead to extensive destruction of facial bones and related structures. The study aimed to establish evidence-based epidemiological data on orofacial neoplasms in this population. A retrospective study conducted in tertiary health centre, histopathology results and clinical records of pediatrics patients were retrieved for use. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the sociodemographic variables of 172 pediatric patients diagnosed with various orofacial tumours. (using SPSS V.24, chicago, U.S.A) Females are more predominant (53.5%), M: F ratio of 1:1.4. Both benign (87.8%), and malignant tumours (12.2%) were more prevalent in females compared to their male counterparts. Mandible is more affected (32.5%), and ameloblastoma is the more prevalent benign neoplasm (18.6%), while hematolymphoid lesions are the more malignant tumours observed. The commonest tumour observed was ameloblastoma (18.6%), neck tumors are mostly found in older children.  Age in years and the tumour duration before presentation was significantly positively correlated (P=0.001). There was no significant association between gender and tumour duration (P=0.14). In conclusion, females outnumber males in this regional retrospective study. The mandible is the most commonly affected bone, with ameloblastoma being the most frequent benign tumor, while hematolymphoid tumors are the predominant malignant lesions.