Characteristics of Pediatric Cheek Mass.

PURPOSE: Patients with cheek mass are often referred to our medical center's department of plastic surgery. Most patients with deep cheek mass have the characteristic of a slowly growing, painless mass. We reviewed the lesion's pathology of this complex anatomic area in the pediatric population, focusing on differential diagnosis and the recent surgical strategies.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 56 patients visiting our department from 2009 to 2016. Data analysis included the patients' lesion characteristics, clinical presentation, presumptive diagnosis, results of preoperative investigations, pathological diagnosis, and treatment details.

RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 1 day to 19 years (mean 7.81 years). The most common presentation was an asymptomatic, slowly enlarging mass. Preoperative diagnoses were made after clinical examination, and then the imaging study was performed. Surgical intervention was performed in 31 patients. The most common histopathological types were vascular anomalies. The next order of prevalence, from most prevalent to least, was lipomatosis, neurofibroma, and teratoma cases.

CONCLUSION: As for our patients, various histopathological types of pediatric cheek mass were presented. Being suspicious of a rare disease and having a prudent diagnostic skill were important for a successful diagnosis. The primary treatment of these lesions is surgical excision with a meticulous surgical approach. In our patients, the prognosis of such treatment was good. This study provides a differential diagnosis of cheek mass in the pediatric population and signifies that the prevalence and types of cheek mass in pediatrics are different from those of the adult population.