Pediatric non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence, sites of presentation, and treatment outcome of non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck in the pediatric population.

Methods: 10-year retrospective case series at a tertiary care center. All patients 18 years of age and younger with non-orbital pseudotumor of the head and neck evaluated and treated at our institution over the study period (1990-2000) were identified through the Systematic Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) database with the keyword 'pseudotumor'.

Results: Among 146 patients identified with head and neck pseudotumor at our institution, 15 (10%) were pediatric patients, only three (20%) of whom had pseudotumor in non-orbital sites (the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae, submandibular gland, and masseter space). Four (27%) of the 15 had pseudotumor limited to the lacrimal gland, with the remaining eight (53%) being orbital pseudotumor cases.

Conclusions: Similar to cases of orbital pseudotumor, long term systemic steroid therapy proved effective in the management of non-orbital pseudotumor in all three children with eventual disease resolution.