MELANOTIC NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR IN A YOUN G-CHILD

Background. - Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor is a mostly benign tumor , rare in childhood, essentially located in the head and neck region. Case report. - A two-month-old girl was seen for a rapidly increasing odontogenic tumor which appeared cystic at the CT scan. After enucleat ion, this premaxillar tumor recurred one month later with an osteogeni c aspect at the CT scan. Urine catecholamine excretion was normal; Met hyl Iodo Benzyl Guanidin scintigraphy failed to show any fixation and electron microscopy examination of the biopsy showed several varieties of melanocytes. A partial maxillectomy was performed by oral approach . The patient is well 4 1/2 years later Conclusion. - This observation confirms the recurrence potential of this tumor and the cosmetic inte rest of the oral surgical approach.