Ahmed Qannam1
(Pages 93 - 99)
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences. King Saud University College of Dentistry
Corresponding author: “Dr Ahmed Qannam” dr.qannam@hotmail.com
Volume 24, Issue 2 (April - June 2015)
Open Access
Objective
Oral diseases have a variable epidemiology from region to region. There is paucity of reports on the range of diagnoses regarding soft tissue biopsies in pediatric patients in Saudi Arabia.
Aim
The study aimed to determine the frequency of histologically diagnosed lesions in softtissue biopsy specimens of patients between the ages of 0-18 years in a Saudi Arabian teaching hospital over a 30 year period.
Methodology
The histopathology diagnoses records with complete demographic data of pediatric patients whose soft tissue biopsies were diagnosed in the Histopathology laboratory of College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia between 1984 and 2013 were retrieved and reviewed, alongside their histopathology slides. The lesions were then classified into 8 broad categories.
Result
A total of 280 pediatric soft tissue biopsies diagnosed during this period had complete records. The male to female ratio was 0.74 and mean age was 12 years. Reactive lesions were most commonly seen (51.1%) followed by salivary gland lesions (26.4%). The most common specific lesions were pyogenic granuloma, mucous extravasation cysts and fibroma. The sites most commonly affected were gingiva, lips, buccal mucosa and tongue.
Conclusion
Oral soft tissue lesions in Saudi children were predominantly reactive and benignin nature and the frequencies of observed lesions are not significantly different from those from studies from other parts of the world despite relative cultural and environmental influences that would be expected to play a role in the prevalence of specific lesions.
How to CITE
Qannam A. The Pattern of Diagnosis of Oral Soft Tissue Biopsies in Saudi Arabian Children and Adolescents. J Pak Dent Assoc 2015; 24(2):93-99.