Abstract:
Background: - Theprimary malignant lesions of oral and maxillofacial regions may refer to any
cancers originating in the oral cavity, and jaw bones of mandible and maxilla. Locally
destructive effects of these tumors, or their treatment, can have a damaging effect on the lives of
patients by affecting their appearance; the vital functions of breathing, swallowing, talking and
the senses of taste. These devastating effect and lack of any study in this specific area in Ethiopia
has prompted us to propose this study.
Objective; This study aims to determine the pattern and distribution of primary malignant
lesions of oral and maxillofacial regions in Jimma university medical center.
Methodology; All patients’ record (83)ofprimarymalignant lesionsof oral and maxillofacial
regions from Jul 1/2015 to Jun 30/2019 were retrieved from Jimma university medical center,
maxillofacial unit registry. Reports with doubtful diagnosis, incomplete records and benign
tumors were excluded. Finally, (77) eligible patients’ data were collected, summarized and
analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 program. Frequencies, percentages, cross tabulation of
different variables were determined.The result was presented using figures and tables.
Result and discussion; The mean age of all patients was 46.66 years (SD± 17.249, range: 12 to
85 years). The overall male to female ratio was 2:1. Oral tongue was the most frequently
involved site (19.48%). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common specific
histological type comprising of 49.35% followed by mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) 18.18
%. Most of the patients 52 (67.5%) had history of exposure to predisposing factors.
Conclusion and recommendation; Majority of primary malignant lesions of OMFR occurred in
males and older adults were the mostcommonly affected age groups. Most of the patients’
particularly younger adults had a history of exposure to predisposing factors. Creating increased
awareness among peoples and providing health education about OMFRcancers and its
prevention helpful in minimizing the diseases and early detection at its curable stages.
