Pediatric non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck

Objective: To evaluate the incidence, sites of presentation, and treatment outcome of non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck in the pediatric population. Methods: 10-year retrospective case series at a tertiary care center. All patients 18 years of age and younger with non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck evaluated and treated at our institution over the study period (1990-2000) were identified through the Systematic Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) database with the keyword 'pseudotumor'. Results: Among 146 patients identified with head and neck pseudotumor at our institution, 15 (10%) were pediatric patients, only three (20%) of whom had pseudotumor in non-orbital sites (the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae, submandibular gland, and masseter space). Four (27%) of the 15 had pseudotumor limited to the lacrimal gland, with the remaining eight (53%) being orbital pseudotumor cases. Conclusions: Similar to cases of orbital pseudotumor, long term systemic steroid therapy proved effective in the management of nonorbital pseudotumor in all three children with eventual disease resolution. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.