Unusual presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of the maxilla in an 8-year-old child

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is extremely rare in patients younger than 20 years of age. We present here a case of OSCC of the maxillary alveolar ridge in an otherwise healthy 8-year-old patient. The clinicohistologic presentation was not typical for mucosal SCC, and the possibility of an intrabony origin from the odontogenic epithelium was considered. The patient was treated with surgical resection, and treatment decisions were made with consideration of the need for eradication of tumor as well as tissue preservation to allow normal growth and development. A review of the literature indicated a preponderance of gingival–alveolar ridge as the site of OSCC in children with no known genetic predisposition to cancer. More studies of this rare subset of OSCC will help understand the underlying biology and guide treatment decisions.