Pediatric Head and Neck Malignancies

Abstract

Head and neck malignancies are rare in pediatric patients, and represent 12% of all pediatric malignancies. The incidence for these head and neck tumors is 1.49 cases per 1,000,000 person-years. Among the most common pediatric head and neck malignancies are lymphomas (27%), neural tumors including primitive neurectodermal tumors (23%), thyroid malignancies (21%), soft tissue sarcomas including rhabdomyosarcoma (12%), nasopharyngeal carcinoma, skeletal and odontogenic malignancies including osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and ameloblastic carcinoma. This article presents an overview of pediatric head and neck malignancies with emphasis on diagnosis and management.

Keywords: Pediatric carcinoma; Pediatric head and neck malignancies; Pediatric head and neck tumors; Pediatric malignancies; Pediatric sarcomas; Pediatric tumors.