AMELOBLASTOMA: CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC AND HISTOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF 98 CASES.

Ameloblastoma is the most common benign odontogenic tumor of dental epithelial origin in the jaw. Its behavior is variable and the most common types of this neoplasia are the multicystic (MA) and the unicystic (UA) pattern; the latter considered a less aggressive entity when compared to the MA. Objective To analyze cases of ameloblastoma with emphasis on the clinical, radiographic and histopathological findings and compare MA to UA. Methods This retrospective study was conducted from 98 cases diagnosed from January 2005 to February 2018 in the Oral Pathology Laboratory of the Sao Leopoldo Mandic Institute and Research Center (Brazil). The cases were classified as MA or UA by the radiographic aspects. Furthermore, characteristics such as anatomical region, cortical expansion, gender, age and histopathological patterns were compared. Results The radiographic analysis revealed that the posterior region was the most prevalent one (84.6%), while 15 cases were located in the anterior region and 7 cases were observed in both regions. Moreover, 55 cases were classified as MA and 43 as UA. The cortical expansion was observed in 90 cases; from this amount, 54 cases of ameloblastoma were MA (98.2%) and 36 cases of UA (80%) (p=0,01). The gender distribution was higher in men (55%) than in women. The general average age was 31.3 years (range 9-74 years); the average for MA was 35.6 years and 27.1 years for UA (p=0,007). The painful symptomatology was referred to 21 cases. The predominant histological patterns in MA were the plexiform (36%) and the follicular type (29%) and in UA were cystic (51%) and plexiform (31%). Conclusion Radiographs and histopathologic exams are a fundamental aid for the diagnosis of ameloblastoma. It is important for practicing clinicians to know the salient features of this tumor in order to accomplish a correct diagnosis and an adequate therapeutic care.