Myxoma of the jaws

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Most writers speak of odontogenic and osteogenic myxomas of the jaws. The odontogenic variety is thought to arise from the mesenchymal papilla of t.he developing tooth, either before or after calcification has begun, whereas the osteogenic type can arise from any disturbed mesenchymal focus in the bone. Tiecke and associates12 say that, ideally, the odontogenic myxoma should be differentiated from the osteogenic one, but this is extremely difficult to do. One chief characteristic of the odontogenic lesion is that it occurs in an area where teeth are unerupted or congenitally missing. Bernie? states: “It is academic to speak of osteogenic or odontogenic myxomas; tracing the origin is merely a philosophic exercise.” Some authorities think that myxomas should not be classified as separate tumors. They believe that myxomas and myxosarcomas are merely fibromas and fibrosarcomas in which mucin has developed in the intercellular matrix.ll It has been shown that myxomatous areas exist within many benign and malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin.15-Ii Thoma and Goldman,ls in their study of eleven cases of myxoma, concluded that the tumor is benign and of odontogenic origin. They consider myxomas of the jaws odordogenie fibromas which have undergone myxomatous degeneration. Stout1 described a pure myxoma as “a true neoplasm composed of stellate cells set in a loose mucoid stroma through which course very delicate reticulin fibers in various directions.”