Extreme Facial Tumour of the Skull and Jaw

A bone forming malignant tumour of the face is a sight to behold! It is a very rare condition.

The most common (but still very rare) type of face bone tumour is osteosarcoma.

How Rare is an Osteosarcoma Jaw Tumour?

Of all the osteosarcomas found in the head and neck, only 2-10% are in the jaw bones (study).

Although bone tumours like osteosarcoma are the most common primary malignant tumour in adolescents and young adults (this means it starts in the bone tissue AND spreads) – osteosarcoma in the head and skull is overall uncommon.

Only a handful of cases are documented each year in the US. (See this 1980s Journal Article on general osteosarcomas).

Is it Aggressive and How Fast Does Osteosarcoma of the Jaws spread?

When this rare tumour does occur though, it is highly malignant. This means it spreads to other tissues and is very aggressive and dangerous.

The treatment is difficult and invasive.

The tumour grows quickly and aggressively. It spreads into tissues nearby. As it grows it is commonly associated with pain, bleeding and ulceration. (Source)

What are the Treatments for Jaw and Skull Osteosarcoma?

Each case must be assessed on its own merits. A typical approach would involve surgery and chemotherapy.

However scientists have said there are limited cases to study to determine a best protocol. each case must be assessed on its own.

Not every skull tumour can be operated on (source).

Can Wisdom Teeth Make Tumours Happen?

There are some conditions and growths that can be caused by troublesome wisdom teeth. (Why do we even have wisdom teeth!?)

Not everyone has wisdom teeth – and some people have different numbers of wisdom teeth.

If Wisdom teeth are impacted you may need a wisdom tooth extraction (check out this video of a wisdom tooth extraction!)

In rare cases leaving wisdom teeth can result in growths or tumours from the tissues around the wisdom teeth. This is pretty rare and can usually be picked up by a dentist early with x-rays.