Tumors and tumor-like lesions of the oral cavity and related structures in Israeli children.

The present study comprises a total of 966 biopsies of the oral cavity and related structures obtained from children aged < or =15 years and examined at the Division of Oral Pathology of The Hebrew University. These cases represent 7.15% of the total number of biopsies (13508) during a fifteen-year period (1978-1992). Seven hundred and seventy six (776) biopsies (80.3%) represented inflammatory processes, cysts, pulp pathology and congenital malformations. The remaining 190 biopsies (19.7%) comprised neoplastic and tumor-like lesions: 18 (9.5%) were benign odontogenic neoplasms, 77 (40.5%) were benign non-odontogenic neoplasms, 18 (9.5%) were malignant tumors and the remaining 77 cases (40.5%) were tumor-like lesions.