Oral Neurofibroma: 10-Year Experience in Enugu

Abstract

Background: Neurofibroma (NF) is a neural tumour derived from the proliferation of Schwann cells. Oral NF is rare, and no known study exists in the Nigerian literature. Aims: The aim was to study the clinicopathologic features of oral NF in a tertiary hospital in Enugu and review of the literature. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary health institution in Enugu from April 2012 to March 2022. The clinical records, radiographs, and histopathology reports of patients seen at the department of oral pathology and oral medicine were examined for cases of NF. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Chi-square statistics for association between the variables. Results: There were only 11 oral peripheral neural sheath tumours, and all were diagnosed as NF. These constitute 1.1% of 897 orofacial biopsies received. Solitary oral NF constituted 90.9% of cases, while 9.1% was associated with neurofibromatosis type I. One of the solitary cases occurred with ameloblastoma. The mean age at the onset of the tumour was 38 ± 24.4 years (range: 8–85 years). A male-to-female ratio of 1.8:1 was obtained, and a majority of lesions, 7 (63.6%) of 11, were located in soft tissue sites only. The tongue (27.3%) and the mandible (27.3%) were the most common intraosseous and soft tissue sites. Pain (18.2%) and recurrence (54.5%) were observed. Conclusion: Oral NF was the most common peripheral nerve sheath tumour, with a low prevalence, male predilection, and frequently extraosseous.