ORAL NEUROFIBROMAS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH EMPHASIS ON CLINICAL AND MORPHOLOGIC ASPECTS

Objective This study evaluated clinical and histopathologic characteristics of neurofibromas of the oral and maxillofacial complex diagnosed at a referred oral pathology service for a 48-year period. Study Design All cases of neurofibromas were reviewed and clinical data were obtained from patients’ clinical records. Under light microscopy, 2 oral pathologists previously calibrated reviewed all hematoxylin and eosin slides. Results From all 15,375 cases, 24 cases (0.15%) were diagnosed as neurofibromas. Eighteen (75.0%) of the patients with neurofibromas were females and the mean age was 39.1 years. Three patients (12.5%) with neurofibromas had type I neurofibromatosis. Clinically, most of the lesions presented as asymptomatic nodules and the most frequent sites were oral tongue (n = 6; 25.0%) and gingiva (n = 6; 25.0%). Histologically, the lesions were predominantly well delimited (75.0%), exhibiting interlocking bundles of spindle-shaped cells that usually exhibited wavy nuclei, associated with delicate collagen fibers. Fifteen cases had mast cells (37.5%). Meissner bodies and rosettes were not observed. Conclusions Neurofibromas are rare neoplasms in the oral and maxillofacial complex and may be a clinical manifestation of neurofibromatosis type I. Knowledge of clinical and histopathologic features by dentists and oral pathologists is truly important for the correct diagnosis of these lesions.