Pattern of Presentation and Management of Ameloblastoma in a Nigerian Regional Reference Hospital

Abstract

Background: Ameloblastomas are benign but locally aggressive tumor that arises from the odontogenic epithelium. It primarily affects the jaws and is the most common benign odontogenic tumour second only to odontomas.  The aim of the study was to review the records of all patients who presented with jaw ameloblastoma cases at the Oral and Maxillofacial surgery clinic of Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe, from January 2000 to December 2024 with special attention to their management, complications following treatment as well as the challenges related to the management of these cases.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of medical records of all patients with histopathologically diagnosed jaw ameloblastoma at the Oral and Maxillofacial surgery clinic of FTH, Gombe. The data on patient’s socio-demographics, tumour location on the jaw, clinical and histopathological parameters, treatments instituted, complications and management challenges were extracted from the patient’s folder using data abstraction form. This information was analysed using collection was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.

Results: 219 cases of ameloblastoma were histologically diagnosed during the period of the study; this amounted to an average of 9 cases per year. The mean age of the patients treated was 33.0 years (SD ±12) with a male: female ratio of 1.13: 1. All the cases reviewed were located in the mandible with 161(73.4%) of them found in the posterior aspect. The conventional ameloblastoma is the most common clinical presentation 150(69.2%). Follicular variant was the most common histological subtype 123 (56.1%). One hundred and eighty nine (189) patients were treated with resection and non-vascularised iliac crest bone reconstruction. There were 4 recorded cases of tumour recurrence.

Conclusion: The result of the study revealed that jaw ameloblastoma cases in this locality shared similar clinico-pathologic presentations as commonly reported in the literature.