Ameloblastoma of the acanthomatous and plexiform type in the mandible presenting as a unilocular radiolucency

Abstract

The ameloblastoma is an odontogenic tumor of epithelial origin, which is persistent and locally invasive, and has aggressive but benign growth characteristics. There are three major clinico-radiographic types: Conventional solid/multicystic intra-osseous, unicystic and peripheral ameloblastoma, with the conventional solid intra-osseous type being the most common. Histopathologically, it occurs in six patterns: Plexiform, follicular, acanthomatous, granular cell, basal cell, and desmoplastic types. This report describes a case of an ameloblastoma in the angle and ramus region of the mandible, which radiographically appeared as a unilocular radiolucency mimicking a dentigerous cyst or unicystic ameloblastoma, but showed features of both the acanthomatous and plexiform patterns of a conventional/solid ameloblastoma on histopathological analysis.