Primordial odontogenic tumor: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: A primordial odontogenic tumor (POT) is a rare, benign, mixed epithelial and mesenchymal odontogenic tumor that has been included as a new entity in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) classification (2017). POT consists of dental papilla-like myxoid connective tissue covered with a delicate membrane of ameloblastic epithelium. Only 15 cases have been documented worldwide, and here, we report the sixteenth case and the first one of South Korea. CASE PRESENTATION: An asymptomatic lesion was discovered as an incidental radiographic finding in a 10-year-old boy. The patient had no complaints about the lesion. Cone-beam computerized tomograms revealed a round cavity with a defined cortical border measuring approximately 5 × 5 × 5 mm in size. The lesion was a POT. The patient was treated with enucleation. The tumor showed no recurrence for one year. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of POT in South Korea using the novel diagnosis of POT after it was recognized and defined in the latest WHO classification. This novel diagnosis will be useful for pathologists and clinicians in diagnosing and differentiating this new and rare disease from other odontogenic tumors.