Ewing's sarcoma of the mandible in children: Reconstruction by induced membrane

Introduction. Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is a malignant bone neoplasm that develops during the first two decades of life, and affects male more than female patients (sex ratio 1.6/1). ES head and neck bone localization is extremely uncommon (2 to 4%). We report a rapid induced membrane reconstruction without primary bone autograft. Observation. A 7-year-old boy presented with a 50 mm mandibular ES centered on the horizontal branch of the right mandible. This patient was treated by a combination of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant radio-chemotherapy, according to the Euro-Ewing 99 protocol. The right horizontal mandibular branch was resected, following induction chemotherapy. A macroplate and a cement spacer were used for the reconstruction, while expecting anatomopathological results. Seventeen days later, we removed the spacer because of scar disunion. The radiographic controls revealed a spontaneous osteogenesis along the macroplate despite the early cement spacer removal. This spontaneously bone growth allowed avoiding a free vascularized bone transfer for the reconstruction. The tissue regeneration potential of this young boy and the cement spacer induced membrane could explain this spontaneous osteogenesis phenomenon. Discussion. Induced membrane can be added to the therapeutic options for pediatric oncologic mandibular bone loss. It avoids using of a free vascularized bone transfer. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.