Oral peripheral ameloblastoma: A retrospective series study of 25 cases

BACKGROUND: Peripheral ameloblastoma (PA) is a rare and unusual variant of odontogenic tumor, which was described only in isolated case reports in literature. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical profile, treatment and outcome of PA in a consecutive case series. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 25 patients with histologically confirmed PA from 2001 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed in our institution. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 22 males and 3 females were identified (male: female = 7.3:1). The average age was 48.3 years (range 11-81 years) with lingual or palate gingival region being the most common site (76%). The course of disease was less than 6 months in 92.0% (23/25) of all patients (mean, 3.3 months; range, 1-12 months). All patients underwent complete surgical removal of the lesions, and one lesion recurrence occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical profile and outcome of PA from Eastern China were elucidated in this retrospective analysis based on a case series. Our experience may provide some insights into the differential diagnosis and clinical management of PA. The first choice of treatment is surgical excision, which can result in a good prognosis. Key words:Peripheral ameloblastoma, clinical profile, outcome.