Odontogenic myxoma: Report of three cases and retrospective review of literature in Indian population

PURPOSE: To review the clinical pattern and treatment modalities meted out to patients of odontogenic myxoma (OM) in Indian population in last 30 years and also to report 3 cases of OM. METHOD: A retrospective review of radiograph and histopathology of three cases of odontogenic myxoma treated between 2005 and 2011 was done. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine the pattern of vimentin and NSE. Also a computerized literature search using Medline and Google scholar was conducted for published articles on OM in Indian population in last 30 years. RESULT: A total of 32 OM cases reviewed from 25 articles retrieved. Out of them 24 myxomas were present in maxilla, only 8 were in mandible and a single case was present in supraglottic region (larynx). Surgical procedure carried out was excision and curettage in 16 patients and resection with safe margin followed by reconstruction 13 patients. All the three reported cases were successfully treated by tumor enucleation and peripheral ostectomy with no recurrence after 3 to 7 years. CONCLUSION: Odontogenic myxoma is a rare odontogenic tumor with inconclusive clinical and radiographic features, hence histopathological examination is mandatory to confirm its diagnosis. Although the immunohistochemical analysis may help in diagnosis but plays no role in guiding treatment planning or predicting the rate of recurrence. Currently we lack data on number of reported OM cases in Indian population as author feels more patients must have been treated then reported.