Jaw Solitary Plasmacytoma of Bone and Oral Extramedullary Plasmacytoma: Literature Review

Introduction

Plasmacytoma is the second most common hematolymphoid neoplasm in the oral cavity. It can present in the bone as solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) or in the soft tissues as extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP). Our goal was to summarize the reported cases of SBP affecting jaw bones and EMP affecting the oral soft tissues.

Methods

We searched the literature on PubMed, Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases and included jaw (gnathic) SBP and oral EMP publications from January 2000 to May 2024.

Results

We identified 161 cases of jaw SBP and oral EMP. The median age was 58 years, with 54.7% males. Male predilection was seen in oral EMP (87.5%) but not jaw SBP (48.9%). The median lesion duration was shorter for oral EMP (3 months) compared to jaw SBP (6 months). Oral EMP was more likely to be asymptomatic than jaw SBP (47.1% vs. 19.4%, respectively). The most common location for jaw SBP was the mandible (70.8%) and the gingiva and tonsils were the oral sites mostly affected by oral EMP (29.2% each). One-third of cases received radiation therapy. Remission was seen in 73.3% of oral EMP cases and 35.4% of jaw SBP.

Conclusions

It is important for oral health providers to be aware of the clinical presentations of jaw SBP and oral EMP. Jaw SBP and oral EMP differed clinically and prognostically based on the reported cases. This underscores the importance of correct diagnosis and differentiating the two entities.