Chondromyxoid fibroma of the mandible: Case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION: Chondromyxofibroma (CMF) is exceedingly rare, accounting for 0.5% of the 10,065 bone tumors categorized by Unni and Inwards and 1.6% of their catalog of benign bone tumors. Only 2 of the 50 chondromyxoid fibromas included in their study occurred in the skull. Chondromyxoid fibroma of the maxillofacial region is typically seen in patients in the 2nd-3rd decade of life with slight female predominance. It is more commonly seen in the maxilla and is unusual in the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses. The tumor is composed of hypocellular chondroid or myxochondroid tissue with multinucleated giant cells. CASE REPORT: A 30 year old Nigerian house wife was seen at the Oral and Maxillofacial clinic of the Dental and Maxillofacial Department of the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja with a 4 year history of Rt mandibular swelling which was initially slow growing and painless and difficulty in eating. The whole lesion was removed and result confirmed the previous biopsy of chondromyxofbroma of the jaw. CONCLUSION: Patients with CMF need close monitoring due to high rate of recurrence with cases of malignant transformation at rate of 1-2%, and this seems to have occurred following irradiation.