Demographic and histopathological variation of ameloblastoma: A hospital-based study

CONTEXT: Ameloblastoma is the second most common odontogenic tumor after odontoma which occurs exclusively in the jaws and very rarely in the sinonasal cavities. AIMS: The aim of the study was to determine the demographic and histopathological variations of ameloblastoma in Eastern Indian population by retrospectively comparing and evaluating diagnosed cases of ameloblastoma using different parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histopathologically diagnosed cases of ameloblastoma retrieved from past records of the Department of Oral Pathology were selected for the study. Totally, 148 cases were isolated from record of previous 7 years. The patients were divided according to (a) gender, (b) age group, (c) site of the lesion and (d) histopathological types. The findings of this study were compared with those available in literature. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: This is a retrospective study, mean and standard deviation was calculated. RESULTS: Among 148 patients, 88 (59.45%) were male and 60 (40.55%) were female. A maximum number of cases (101 of 148) of ameloblastoma were found in the second to fourth decades of life. Mandiblular posterior region was commonly involved (48.6%). Solid/multicystic variety was found in 63.1% followed by unicystic with 21.5%. We found one case each of extraosseous and desmoplastic ameloblastoma. It was difficult for panel of experienced oral pathologists to pinpoint the exact type in 15 (10%) cases, this was due to mixture of follicular and plexiform variety with equal presence of both types of architecture, without predominance of any variety in particular. CONCLUSIONS: These data may serve as baseline information on occurrence of various histopathological types of ameloblastoma in Eastern Indian population and helps comparing it with other similar studies conducted in different geographic population.