A premature newborn with intraoral tumor.

A baby born by normal spontaneous vaginal route with a gestational age of 32 weeks and 4 days as the third child of Syrian parents who were first cousins was hospitalized in our neonatal intensive care unit because of respiratory distress and intraoral mass. The body weight of the female patient was found to be 1 789 g (10-50 percentile) and her head circumference was found to be 29 cm (10-50 percentile). On physical examination, the body temperature was measured to be 36.7°C (axillary), the blood pressure was found to be 55/30 mmHg, the apical heart rate was found to be 148/min, the respiratory rate was found to be 75/min and oxygen saturation was found to be 83%. The lung sounds were decreased on auscultation in the baby who had groaning, tachypnea and intercostal retractions and an oval, solid mass with a size of 2 x 3 cm localized anteriorly which nearly completly obstructed the mouth space and which was bound to the maxillary gingiva from which it originated with a fibrous handle of approximately 0.5 cm was present in the upper chin of the baby (Figure 1). Reticulogranular appearance was present on lung graphy of the patient who was ventilated mechanically because of respiratory failure and respiratory acidosis. One dose of surfactant was administered to the baby who was diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome. After screening for sepsis was performed, ampicillin and gentamycin treatment was started with suspicious congenital pneumonia. Hemogram and C-reactive protein values at presentation were within the normal limits. On the postnatal third day, the intraoral mass was excised from the gingiva which it was originated from with the help of a monopolar cautery under general anesthesia.