MELANOTIC NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR OF INFANCY IN ORAL CAVITY AT UNUSUAL AGE

Abstract

The melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is an extremely rare, fast-growing but benign lesion, commonly occurring in the maxilla of children within the first year of life. Only about 380 cases of this particular tumor have been documented in the medical literature and very few of them have been reported to have occurred in late childhood. We describe here a relatively uncommon presentation of melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy of maxilla arising from palatal gingiva of a 10 year-old female, its course and management by surgical excision with safe margins.