Orofacial tumours in suburban Nigerian children and adolescents

We report the type and distribution of orofacial tumours in south-western Nigerian children and adolescents. The 512 records of patients with oral and maxillofacial tumours in the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, from 1991 to 2001, were searched and the 146 records (28%) of patients aged 19 years and less were reviewed. Their mean age was 10 years (female:male ratio 1:1.4). Of the 146 tumours 74 (51%) were malignant and 72 (49%) were benign. Of the latter 31 were from soft tissue and 41 were from the jaw (20 odontogenic and 21 non-odontogenic). The most common benign soft tissue and jaw tumours were gingival epulis and ameloblastoma respectively. Of the malignant tumours 67 were lymphomas, 5 sarcomas and 2 carcinomas.