Neoplasms associated with dentigerous cyst: An insight into pathogenesis and clinicopathologic features

Odontogenic cysts may occur in association with odontogenic tumors. Because neoplastic and hamartomatous aberrations can occur at any stage of odontogenesis, combined features of odontogenic tumors with epithelial and mesenchymal components may arise within odontogenic cysts. One of the most common of these is dentigerous cyst (DC) which has neoplastic potential and shows associated pathologies such as ameloblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT), and odontoma. The authors report four cases of DC and associated lesions exhibiting AOT in two cases while one case each of complex odontome and MEC. Emphasis is placed on pathogenesis and clinicopathologic features of these lesions.