Central odontogenic fibroma: Report of case with immunohistochemical study

Abstract

To report a case of central odontogenic fibroma (COF) with immunohistochemical study. We describe a case of epithelium-rich type of COF in the posterior region of the mandible of a 39-year-old woman. Immunohistochemical examination showed the odontogenic epithelium to be positive for high-molecular-weight cytokeratins, vimentin and CD99, and negative for CAM5.2. The stroma contained some myofibroblasts and many fibroblast-like cells positive for CD99. Our immunohistochemical findings, and especially the positive expression of vimentin from the epithelial cells of COF suggests that these cells are primordial. Last but not least, the presence of a relative small number of myofibroblasts in the stroma justifies the non-aggressive behavior of the neoplasm and supports that a part of stromal collagen of COF is produced by these cells.