Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic tumor which, due to its locally invasive nature, requires early diagnosis to avoid mutilating treatment. The point with doctor Christophe Lequart, dental surgeon.
What is an ameloblastoma?
It’s about a rare benign odontogenic tumor with high recurrence potential, located at the level of mandible. It accounts for 1% of jaw tumors, usually in the lower jaw.
What is the origin of an ameloblastoma?
“The origin is embryologicalthese are cellular elements that make up future teeth, called ameloblastswhich will lead to the formation of a tumor“, explains Doctor Lequart.
What are the symptoms of an ameloblastoma?
“Ameloblastoma is painless“, screening for this lesion is a often accidental discovery. “But it is a disabling tumor with a significant bone loss that results in a hole in the bone and lesions the size of an apricot or walnut“, underlines the specialist. The ameloblastoma is characterized by a jaw swellingwhich if left untreated, can lead to facial deformity.
What tests to make the diagnosis?
The diagnosis is based on several parameters: exo-oral clinical observation to begin with. “There is a deformation of the face with an asymmetry.” Endo-oral, inside the mouth, “We see a localized swelling at the posterior level.” Afterwards, radiological examination reveals a large black spot, “there is no more bone in the mandible. We then have a soap bubble image, multi cystic.” Finally, the diagnosis is then confirmed after a histological examination with a laboratory sample.
There are two types of treatment: radical or conservative. “The treatment depends on the size of the lesion, there are a lot of recurrences. When it is a small tumor, we will then enucleate, and remove this tumor“. This so-called conservative technique is performed under local anesthesia.
When to operate on an ameloblastoma?
When the tumor has a large volume, “we use the interruptive technique, by eliminating part of the mandible under general anesthesia, which prevents recurrences.
What is the life expectancy with an ameloblastoma?
It is a benign tumor metastases are rare. “The role of the dental surgeon consists both in the detection of this tumor and the prosthetic reconstitution in order to replace missing teeth so that the patient can eat“, concludes Doctor Lequart.
Thanks to doctor Christophe Lequart, dental surgeon, national spokesperson for theUFSBD (French Union for Oral and Dental Health).