M. Dhaha, S. Ferchichi, S. Dhambri, S .Jbali, M.Moula, M. Ben Amira, S. Kedous, S. Touati, S. Gritli
Head and Neck surgery Department Salah Azaez Oncology Institute, Tunis

Objectives: Our purpose was to present the clinical, radiological and histological features of head and neck lipoblastoma and its management by studying an illustrative rare case of lipoblastoma occurring in the infratemporal fossa.
Observation: we report a rare case of lipoblastoma of the infratemporal fossa in a 3 year-old boy presenting as an oropharyngeal rapidly-growing mass evolving for 4 months. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed an 11-centimeter tumor of the infratemporal fossa and the right parapharyngeal space with high-intensity T1 signal. The child underwent total surgical resection of the tumor through an external cervical approach. The post-operative recovery was simple. No recurrence was recorded after 2 years of follow-up.
Conclusion: Lipoblastomas of the head and neck are extremely rare. Imaging especially MRI is helpful for the diagnosis and the preoperative evaluation. Total surgical resection is the best treatment to avoid recurrence. However, the vulnerability of the neurovascular structures in the head and neck remains a great challenge for the surgeon.
Key-words: Lipoblastoma, infratemporal fossa, child, MRI

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