AMELOBLASTOMA OF THE MAXILLA: A REPORT OF A CASE FOUND IN A ROUTINE RADIOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION

Ameloblastoma is an aggressive benign odontogenic neoplasm that occurs more frequently in the mandible, and only 5% to 20% of cases affect the maxilla. We reported a case of a 28-year-old white female who was referred to a dentistry radiology service for routine examinations for orthodontic purposes. CT scans revealed the presence of an ill-defined hypodense lesion in the left posterior maxillary region causing rupture and invasion of the maxillary sinus floor. An incisional biopsy was performed, and histopathologic examination revealed islands, trabeculae, and nests of basaloid epithelial cells, sometimes presenting peripheral ameloblastic differentiation. The diagnosis was basal cell ameloblastoma. The tumor was treated with decompression for 10 months, with approximately 60% of regression of the lesion, and then a surgical enucleation followed by curettage was performed. Despite rarely occurring in the maxilla, ameloblastoma is an aggressive tumor that must be considered in the differential diagnosis of multilocular lesions in this anatomic site.