Infrequent clinicopathological findings in 108 ameloblastomas

Abstract

One hundred and eight ameloblastomas diagnosed in a rural black Africa population were analysed for clinicopathologic findings other than those classically described. One patient had a polycystic ameloblastoma adjacent to an ameloblastic fibroma. Two other polycystic ameloblastomas showed aneurysmal bone cyst formation and one mandibular tumour was diagnosed as a keratoameloblastoma. Microscopic changes resembling an adenomatoid odontogenic tumour were present in association with two unicystic ameloblastomas and a HPV18-positive verrucous lesion occurred in the lining of a cystic space of a polycystic ameloblastoma. Two ameloblastomas contained eosinophilic granules in all tumor cells and melanocytes were diffusely present in another. One case exhibited a focus of mucous cell metaplasia. Two polycystic ameloblastomas showed diffuse interstitial ossification. One mandibular tumor was diagnosed as a desmoplastic ameloblastoma and another as an odontoameloblastoma. This study demonstrated that although ameloblastomas are regarded as a fairly homogeneous group of neoplasms, detailed investigations prove clinicopathologic diversity in a significant number of lesions.