Pediatric Oral Biopsy: A Retrospective Survey in Central Indian Population

Background/Purpose: Although the general profile of oral biopsies from Asian children has been reported, it was still worth examining whether there were racial and geographic variations in the categories and incidence of pediatric oral lesions. This retrospective study mainly evaluated the categories and incidence of biopsied oral lesions in pediatric patients in and around Nagpur City. Methods: Biopsy records of all oral lesions from pediatric patients, aged 0-14 years, in the files of the Department of Oral Pathology, Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College & Hospital from 2010 to 2020 were evaluated. The patients were divided into 3 age groups (0-5, 6-10, and 11-14 years), and the oral lesions were classified into four main categories: inflammatory and reactive, cystic, neoplastic, and other lesions. Results: Of a total of 1350 biopsied oral lesions, 57 (4.22%) were found in pediatric patients. The most common oral lesions were salivary gland pathology, followed by mucosal and developmental dental pathologies. Conclusion: The mucous extravasation phenomenon, odontoma, or dentigerous cyst was the most common inflammatory and reactive lesion in pediatric patients. The relatively high incidence of inflammatory and reactive lesions in pediatric patients implies the importance of stringent oral hygiene in children