A case of aggressive ossifying fibroma with massive involvement of the mandible: Differential diagnosis and management options

Fibro-osseous lesions of the maxillofacial complex are often difficult to diagnose from both a clinical and a histopathologic point of view. Ossifying fibroma is a benign, but potentially aggressive, fibro-osseous tumor of the craniofacial bones. Clinically, it is a large asymptomatic tumor of aggressive appearance due to the bone destruction it produces. The authors describe a case of an ossifying fibroma presenting in a 16-year-old girl with his surgical and reconstructive treatment, and review the histology, clinical behavior, and management of these uncommon but disfiguring lesions. Sometimes, these tumors may reach a very large size. Such cases may require additional reconstructive surgery because of some aesthetic and functional problems, especially when teeth are removed. The case described in this report is a good example of a very large ossifying fibroma in the mandible that was successfully treated in this manner, and reconstructed with an iliac crest microvascular flap. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.