Fenton Christopher C, Nish Iain A, Carmichael Robert P, Sàndor George K B
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anaesthesia, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007 Nov;65(11):2329-35. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2006.11.012.
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.
This article describes the management of a pediatric mandibular defect secondary to the resection of a metastatic retinoblastoma.
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.
The soft tissue matrix expansion grafting technique can be successfully utilized in the reconstruction of ablative defects in pediatric patients.
