Odontogenic tumors: a review of 319 cases in a Nigerian teaching hospital

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to determine the relative frequency of odontogenic tumors in a Nigerian population and to compare these data with previous reports.

Study design: Records of patients seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 1980 and December 2003, with histologic diagnosis of odontogenic tumors (based on World Health Organisation classification, 1992), were analyzed.

Results: Odontogenic tumors constituted 9.6% of all the biopsies of oral and jaw lesions seen within the period under study. Three hundred and eight (96.6%) were intraosseous, and 11 (3.4%) were peripheral (peripheral odontogenic fibroma=7; peripheral myxoma=3; peripheral ameloblastoma=1). The mean age of patients was 29.9+/-15.6 years (range, 4-85 years). Among these cases, 96.6% of the tumors were benign and 3.4% were malignant. Ameloblastoma with predilection for the mandible was the most frequent odontogenic tumor (63%), followed by adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) (7.5%), myxoma (6.5%), calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst (5.3%), and odontogenic fibroma (5.3%). More cases of malignant odontogenic tumors were seen than cases of calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor and odontomas. The mean ages of patients with AOT, ameloblastic fibroma, and odontoma were significantly lower than those with ameloblastoma ( P<.05). No significant difference was found between the mean ages of patients with benign odontogenic tumors and those with malignant odontogenic tumors ( P=.058).

Conclusions: Odontogenic tumors, especially ameloblastoma, are not considered rare among Nigerians, whereas odontoma, regarded as the most frequent odontogenic tumor in North and South America, is rare.