Intraosseous benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the jaws: report of 4 new cases and a comprehensive literature review.

Abstract

Benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (BPNSTs) are a vast, common, heterogeneous group of lesions that are often diagnostically challenging. The head and neck region is recognized as the second most common location for these lesions, especially the tongue. However, BPNSTs occurring centrally within the jaw bones are exceedingly rare. To date, approximately 161 cases of intraosseous BPNSTs have been reported in the jaws. This group mainly includes the relatively more common neurofibromas and schwannomas, and the less common perineuriomas and hybrid forms. Unlike soft tissues, schwannomas are the most common BPNSTs occurring within the jaws, followed by neurofibromas and perineuriomas. These neoplasms can present as a well-defined unilocular lesion or as an ill-defined multilocular image, resembling several types of benign and malignant lesions of odontogenic origin. The aim of the current study was to report 4 new cases of intraosseous BPNSTs and a comprehensive literature review.