Although von Recklinghausen’s disease is not rare, the frequency of oral involvement is low. We report a patient with an oral neurofibroma that caused masticatory dysfunction. A 58-year-old man with a chief complaint of tumor formation in the floor of the mouth was referred to our department on July 1, 2003. The patient had multi-nodular masses on the skin from the age of 10 years. Because of recurrence, he had received a number of operations for thigh tumors approximately once a year from the age of 38 years. Clinical examination revealed a pedunculated elastic soft mass in the anterior floor of the mouth. The tumor was 25×13×22mm in size and extended to the lingual side of the anterior teeth. Excision of the tumor was performed under local anesthesia and an immediate denture was applied to cover the operation wound and keep the depth of the floor of the mouth. The post-operative course was good and the denture was satisfactory to the patient. Masticatory efficiency 12 months after operation was 2.1 times that measured during the preoperative period, indicating that the operation and prosthodontic treatment contributed to the recovery of mastication. There has been no evidence of recurrence during the follow-up period.
