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. 2014 Sep;18(Suppl 1):S66-71.
doi: 10.4103/0973-029X.141368.

Ameloblastoma in the Northeast region of Brazil: A review of 112 cases

Thiago de Santana Santos  1 , Marta Rabello Piva  2 , Emanuel Sávio de Souza Andrade  3 , André Vajgel  3 , Ricardo José de Holanda Vasconcelos  3 , Paulo Ricardo Saquete Martins-Filho  2
Affiliations

Ameloblastoma in the Northeast region of Brazil: A review of 112 cases

Thiago de Santana Santos et al. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Context: Ameloblastomas are benign tumors of the jaws with locally invasive capacity.

Aim: The aim of this study was to review 112 cases of ameloblastoma seen over an 18-year period (1992-2009) at the Pernambuco Dental School, University of Pernambuco and at Federal University of Sergipe, in the northeast region of Brazil.

Materials and methods: THE FOLLOWING DATA WERE SELECTED FOR ANALYSIS: age, gender, race, site distribution, radiographic appearance, association with an impacted tooth, size, presence of symptoms, clinicopathologic subtypes and recurrence.

Settings and design: In this retrospective study, Pearson's χ(2) test and t-test were employed. The critical level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results: The mean age of the patients at presentation was 35.1 ± 16.8 years with a slight female preference. The peak prevalence was in the 11- to 20-year age group and declined with increasing age. Total 75 patients were black and 37 were white, for a 2:1 black: white ratio. The location of the ameloblastomas showed a marked predominance in the mandible (84.8%) and 69% of the cases presented with a multilocular radiographic appearance. The tumor was associated with an embedded tooth in 14 cases (12.7%): nine unilocular and five multilocular ameloblastomas. The maximum radiological extension of the lesions on panoramic radiographs was 0.5-20 cm (mean ± SD: 5.2 ± 3.3 cm) and most cases were symptom-free (75.9%). Solid/multicystic ameloblastoma was the most common clinicopathologic subtype. There was an association between the clinicopathologic subtypes and radiographic appearance (P < 0.001). Recurrence was observed in 13.3% of cases.

Conclusion: We propose that racial factors may have strong influence on the incidence of ameloblastomas in the northeast region of Brazil, since most people have African descent. Data related to gender, location, radiographic appearance, size, symptoms, clinicopathologic subtypes and recurrence were similar to previous studies conducted in various parts of the world.

Keywords: Ameloblastoma; Brazilian; epidemiology; odontogenic tumors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of 112 ameloblastomas according age groups
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of 110 intraosseously ameloblastomas according anatomical location
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Extensive radiolucent lesion associated to the embedded tooth in the angle and ramus of the mandible (b) Unilocular radiolucent lesion in the maxilla
Figure 4
Figure 4
Histological section showing a follicular pattern (H&E, ×200 original magnification)
Figure 5
Figure 5
Histological section showing a plexiform pattern (H&E, ×200 original magnification)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Histological section showing an acanthomatous pattern (H&E, ×200 original magnification)
Figure 7
Figure 7
Histological section showing a granular cell pattern (H&E, ×400 original magnification)
Figure 8
Figure 8
Histological section showing a unicystic ameloblastoma with luminal pattern (H&E stain, ×200 original magnification)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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