BENIGN TUMORS OF THE JAWBONES: A TEN YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS IN YAOUNDE-CAMEROON

Aim: To describe the distribution of benign tumors of the jawbones regarding diagnostic characteristics and histopathologic type in a Cameroonian population and to compare findings with other reports. Method: Histopathologic records of patients diagnosed with benign tumors of the jawbones in three teaching hospitals of Yaounde-Cameroon from January 2010 to December 2019 were reviewed. These tumors were classified per the 4th edition of the WHO classification of head and neck tumors and were analyzed descriptively regarding age, sex, site, size, radiological presentation and histopathologic type. Chi-square test was used to assess proportional differences. P values < 0.05 were statistically significant.Results: Records of 89 patients (55 females) aged 30.74 ± 16 years (1 to 74 years) on average were examined. The ratio of mandibular to maxillary lesions was 2.3:1. The mean tumor size was 7.3±5.6 cm. Radiologically, tumors were mostly unilocular (60 cases) and lucent (62 cases). Histologically, these tumors were distributed as odontogenic tumors (57 patients, 33 females, median age 21.2 years), odontogenic cysts (12 patients, 6 females, median age 20 years) and non odontogenic lesions (20 patients, 14 females, median age 24.8 years). Ameloblastoma (23/57 patients), keratocystic odontogenic tumor (12/12 patients) and fibrous dysplasia (10/20 patients) were the most frequent histopathologic type found in each of the previous groups of tumors respectively.Conclusion: The results aforementioned revealed that the distribution and characteristics of benign tumors of the jawbones in Cameroonians have some differences as well as similarities with the findings of studies conducted in different populations over the world.