Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the composition and distribution of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors in Chinese children. METHODS: A retrospective review of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors of children under 18 years old, and in 2004-2013 from the records of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School of Stomatology was carried out. All cases were analyzed according to site, age, gender, histological type and treatment method. RESULTS: Of all 1892 cases of tumors and tumor-like lesions in children admitted to our hospital from 2004 to 2013, 177 were malignant tumors, which constituted 9.4% of all cases. In malignant tumors, the male to female ratio was 1(n=77) to 1.3 (n=100). Their age ranged from 2 months to 17.8 years, and the median age was 10 years. The most common sites were parotid gland (28.8%), mandible (15.3%), lateral deep face (11.9%), and maxilla (10.7%). Sarcoma (46.3%) was the most common malignancy, followed by adenocarcinomas (28.8%) and malignant lymphomas (11.9%). Mucoepidermoid carcinomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were the most common pathological types. Surgery dominated sequential therapy was the mainstay of treatment for sarcomas and carcinomas, while chemotherapy based comprehensive and sequential therapy was predominant treatment of malignant lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS: The composition and distribution of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors in Chinese children are different from adults. Pathological type is an important factor which determines the therapeutic schedule of these patients.

Key words: Children, Oral and maxillofacial, Malignant tumor