Peripheral ameloblastic fibroma of the maxilla: report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

Peripheral odontogenic lesions are considered to be rare within the classification of odontogenic tumors. Also referred to as extraosseous or soft tissue odontogenic tumors, peripheral odontogenic tumors share the same histopathologic characteristics of their central or intraosseous counterparts. Ameloblastic fibroma is a rare odontogenic tumor that arises from both odontogenic epithelium and connective tissue. Only 2 cases of peripheral ameloblastic fibroma have been reported in the English-language literature, one of which did not show the classic features of an ameloblastic fibroma. In this report, we describe a rare case of a peripheral ameloblastic fibroma in the maxilla of a 3-year-old girl.