Dental Implants Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental Implants, including details on dentistry, surgery, tooth implants.

Metastatic mandibular retinoblastoma in a child reconstructed with soft tissue matrix expansion grafting: a preliminary report.

Fenton CC, Nish IA, Carmichael RP, Sàndor GK

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anaesthesia, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PURPOSE: Retinoblastoma is a congenital malignant neoplasm of retinal tissue. Reports of metastasis to the mandible are rare. Successful retinoblastoma management has led to a dramatic improvement in survival rates. Increasing numbers of surviving patients require reconstruction of the defects caused by the ablation of such metastasis. PATIENT AND METHODS: This article describes the management of a pediatric mandibular defect secondary to the resection of a metastatic retinoblastoma. RESULTS: A unique application of the soft tissue matrix expansion technique, otherwise known as the "tent-pole" graft, which has been previously described in adults with severe mandibular atrophy, was utilized in the pediatric patient. CONCLUSION: The soft tissue matrix expansion grafting technique can be successfully utilized in the reconstruction of ablative defects in pediatric patients.

Published 23 October 2007 in J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 65(11): 2329-35.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Dental Implants Research Today. All Rights Reserved.