Histopathologic Patterns of Oral and Maxillofacial Masses in Southwestern Ethiopia: A 5-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background
Oral and maxillofacial region includes nasal cavity, sinuses, the lips, oral cavity, maxilla, mandible and the major and minor salivary 
glands with the overlying skin and soft tissues. This area is common site for different lesions, including the inflammatory and 
neoplastic lesions. Neoplastic tumors, in the area, account 5% of all human neoplasia. The distribution of these tumors’ changes 
with the socio-demographic change throughout the world and is not well-studied on the study area. 
Objectives
To assess the histopathologic patterns of oral and maxillofacial masses among patients attending Histopathology Unit of Pathology Department in Jimma Medical Center from September 11, 2016 to September 10, 2021.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Three-hundred and seventy-seventh (377) oral and maxillofacial (OMF) mass 
samples fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Data was collected by structured check list and the data was 
interred into Epi-data version 3.1 and transferred to statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 22 for analysis. The 
study was conducted from May 1, 2021 to August 30, 2021 GC.
Results
The age distribution of OMF masses are with minimum age value of 1-year and maximum value of 85-years and median age is 
30-years. From 377 patient 194 (51.5%) were male while 183(48.5) were female with a ratio of M:F=1.06:1 showing increased male 
dominance. Mesenchymal tumors, other than bone tumor, have the highest number of 128 (33.9%) cases followed by surface epithelial tumors, 75(19.9%), odontogenic tumors 20(5.3%), salivary gland tumors 55(14.6%), benign cystic mass 47(12.5%), inflammatory masses 42(10.9%) and the least numbers of OMF biopsy was bone tumor with 11(2.9%) cases. From the benign tumors 
fibroepithelial tumor 53(22.8%) is the commonest. From the malignant tumors and from carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma 
56(57.1%), is the leading. From sarcomas osteosarcoma 8(8.2%) is the commonest one.
Conclusion
The result of this research shows the distribution of oral and maxillofacial tumors varies with the age, sex and anatomic site of 
the patients. OMF mass is common on the early adult age period and the risk of malignant tumors increases in those with age 
≥41-years and the commonest malignant tumor is squamous cell carcinoma but in children and adolescents’ benign tumors specially fibroepithelial polyps are the commonest with male predominance.