Fibrous Dysplasia of Skull

Background and Objective: Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a kind of benign but chronically progressive bone lesion. There is a lack of standard therapy for craniofacial FD because situations are protean. This study aimed at analyzing the clinical characteristics of craniofacial FD and suggesting strategies of treatment according to different situations. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 81 patients diagnosed as having an FD of the craniofacial region in West China Hospital between 1996 and 2009. The data and follow-up information were collected and analyzed using SPSS 13.0. Results: Patients were between 5 to 71 years old, with an average age of 23.94 years; 61.73% of the patients were female. The sizes of the lesion range from 1.5 x 2 cm to 15 x 10 cm, most commonly affecting the frontal bones. Painless mass was the most common symptom, and vision loss was the most serious result. Of these patients, 86.4% underwent surgical treatment, 65.4% were followed up, and 86.8% did not show sign of recurrence. The bone defect was best restored with titanium mesh in recent years, and the gross cosmetic results of cranial reconstruction were favorable. Conclusions: Fibrous dysplasia of the skull in most cases is preferred to be treated with whole excision and immediate reconstruction with titanium mesh.