Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2023; 11(27): 6653-6663
Published online Sep 26, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i27.6653
Solitary intraosseous neurofibroma in the mandible mimicking a cystic lesion: A case report and review of literature
Zheng Zhang, Xia Hong, Feng Wang, Xin Ye, You-Dan Yao, Ying Yin, Hong-Yu Yang
Zheng Zhang, Hong-Yu Yang, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China
Zheng Zhang, Xia Hong, Feng Wang, Xin Ye, You-Dan Yao, Hong-Yu Yang, Department of Stomatology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, Guangdong Province, China
Ying Yin, Department of Pathology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang Z reviewed the literature and drafted the manuscript; Yin Y provided professional opinions related to pathology; Hong X, Wang F, Ye X, Yao YD, and Yang HY were responsible for revising the manuscript for intellectual content; All authors issued final approval for the version to be submitted.
Supported by Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, No. SZSM202111012; Shenzhen Fund for Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialties, No. SZGSP008; Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, No. 20210617170745001.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hong-Yu Yang, PhD, Chief Physician, Doctor, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, No. 6 Xuefu West Road, Xinpu New District, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China. yanghongyu@pkuszh.com
Received: July 21, 2023
Peer-review started: July 21, 2023
First decision: August 4, 2023
Revised: August 15, 2023
Accepted: August 31, 2023
Article in press: August 31, 2023
Published online: September 26, 2023
Processing time: 61 Days and 7.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Neurofibromas are benign tumors of a neurogenic origin. If these tumors occur without any other signs of neurofibromatosis, they are classified as isolated neurofibromas. Neurofibromas in the oral cavity mostly occur within soft tissues, indicating that solitary intraosseous neurofibromas in the mandible are rare. Due to the absence of specific clinical manifestations, early diagnosis and treatment of these tumors are difficult to achieve.

CASE SUMMARY

A 37-year-old female patient visited our hospital due to numbness and swelling of the gums in the right lower molar area that had persisted for half a month. The patient’s overall condition and intraoral examination revealed no significant abnormalities. She was initially diagnosed with a cystic lesion in the right mandible. However, after a more thorough examination, the final pathological diagnosis was confirmed to be neurofibroma. Complete tumor resection and partial removal of the right inferior alveolar nerve were performed. As of writing this report, there have been no signs of tumor recurrence for nine months following the surgery.

CONCLUSION

This case report discusses the key features that are useful for differentiating solitary intraosseous neurofibromas from other cystic lesions.

Keywords: Neurofibromas, Mandible, Cystic lesion, Odontogenic cyst, Schwannomas, Case report

Core Tip: We present the case of a 37-year-old female with a solitary intraosseous neurofibroma in the right mandible, accompanied by tooth root resorption and local sensory abnormalities. Imaging revealed low-density unicysts with clear borders. The area affected by the inferior alveolar nerve canal was locally dilated, without displacement. A histological evaluation of the mass revealed spindle-shaped fibroblasts and fibroblast-like cell proliferation with a slight increase in nuclear size. Immunohistochemistry results showed positive staining for S100 and CD34 markers. Complete tumor resection and partial removal of the right inferior alveolar nerve were performed.