Etiology- no known cause
Transmission- considered inherited conditions
Characteristics- Fibromatosis manifests as a slowly enlarging soft tissue mass when observed in the oral cavity. Facial asymmetry can be expected as the lesions enlarge . The soft tissues surrounding the mandible are commonly affected. If the bone of the mandible is affected , the lesions appear as ill-defined radiolucencies. Expansion of the cortical bone may occur.
Dental implications- Early diagnosis of any enlarging mass is crucial to obtaining a favorable treatment outcome. The dental hygienist is in an excellent position to provide thorough examinations, which can identify abnormal growths when they are small.
Treatment and prognosis- The treatment of choice is aggressive surgical excision with wide margins , anti-inflam matory medications, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and other forms of local therapy are suggested . Because there is a high rate of recurrence with these tumors , monitoring of the patient is paramount. The tumors have been known to regress spontaneously, and sometimes, they may be watched for a period of time but, in general, they have a reported recurrence rate of approximately 30% for very aggressive lesions in the head and neck area. Deaths have been reported due to recurrence and locally aggressive invasion of vital tissues. There is no metastasis.