Solitary submandibular soft tissue osteochondroma: A rare case report

Abdulrahman Z Nakshabandi; Ahamd F Alomar; Moayad Baazeem; Abdulrahman Alosaimi; Ibrahim O Bello

doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.106074

Solitary submandibular soft tissue osteochondroma: A rare case report

Int J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Jul:84:106074. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.106074. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Authors

Abdulrahman Z Nakshabandi¹, Ahamd F Alomar², Moayad Baazeem³, Abdulrahman Alosaimi⁴, Ibrahim O Bello⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Oral Medicine, Dept of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 14511, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: anakshabandi@ksu.edu.sa.
² Dept. of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 14511, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 14511, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: aalosaimi1@ksu.edu.sa.
⁵ Division of Oral Pathology, Dept. of Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, P.O. Box 14511, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: ibello@ksu.edu.sa.

Abstract

Introduction: Soft tissue osteochondromas are rare benign tumors containing bone and cartilage that form in mesenchymal tissues with no connection to adjacent bone, cartilage, or periosteum. They mimic endochondral ossification and are usually encased in a fibrous tissue capsule. The occurrence of the tumor is extremely rare in the maxillofacial region.

Case presentation: A case of soft tissue osteochondroma in the submandibular region of a 47-year-old man with a medical history of muscular dystrophy and schizophrenia is presented here. The tumor had been gradually growing for 11 years before the patient's presentation to our clinics. Radiographic and clinical examination revealed a radiopaque mass in soft tissue that extended from the left anteroinferior border of the mandible and with no connection to the mandibular periosteum. Treatment involved surgical excision. A diagnosis of soft tissue osteochondroma was established by histopathological examination.

Clinical discussion: Previously, there have been only three reported cases of soft tissue osteochondroma in the maxillofacial region. The cause of this tumor is not clearly understood, with multiple hypotheses being proposed. Diagnosis usually involves radiology and histopathology, and the tumor is completely amenable to surgical excision.

Conclusion: Extraskeletal osteochondroma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hard tissue lesions with no apparent connection to the underlying bone in the maxillofacial region. Although considered rare, clinical awareness about this tumor aids the practitioner in identifying, diagnosing and properly managing this tumor. There has been no report of recurrence or malignant transformation of the lesion.

Keywords: Case report; Extraskeletal; Maxillofacial; Osteochondroma; Soft tissue; Solitary.