ADENOMATOID ODONTOGENIC TUMOR. A CLINICAL-PATHOLOGIC STUDY OF 27 CASES

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a benign (hamartomatous), noninvasive lesion with slow but progressive growth. The 3 variants—follicular, extrafollicular, and peripheral—present identical histologic findings. Objective: To present 27 cases of AOT, highlighting their clinical and histologic characteristics. Study Design: Twenty-seven AOT cases were retrieved from the archives of the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service from University of Chile, between 1976-2013. Clinical and histologic findings are described. Results: Twenty-seven AOT cases were reviewed, of which 25 were intraosseous and 2 were peripheral (gingiva). The cases came from 16 females and 11 males with an age range of 5 to 57 years. Of the 25 intraosseous cases, 17 were follicular (associated with impacted teeth), while 8 were extrafollicular (present between teeth). Thirteen of the 27 cases were in the maxilla, and the other 14 were in the mandible. The 2 peripheral cases were clinically diagnosed as a peripheral giant cell granuloma. Histologically, all specimens were similar in morphology, demonstrating a varied degree of duct-like structures and spindle-shaped epithelial cells. Conclusions: The follicular type was the most frequent variant and initially diagnosed as a dentigerous cyst, emphasizing the importance of the histopathologic study of pericoronary radiolucent lesions.