Ameloblastoma Treatments

What is ameloblastoma?

Ameloblastoma is a rare, benign tumor of odontogenic epithelium much more commonly appearing in the lower jaw than the upper jaw.

While these tumors are rarely malignant or metastatic (that is, they rarely spread to other parts of the body), they are very aggressive, therefore the resulting lesions can cause severe abnormalities of the face and jaw.

Additionally, because abnormal cell growth easily infiltrates and destroys surrounding bony tissues, wide surgical excision is required to treat this disorder. If an aggressive tumor is left untreated, it can obstruct the nasal and oral airways making it impossible to breathe without oropharyngeal intervention.

Treatment

Surgical resection or enucleation remains the most definitive treatment for this condition. Because of the invasive nature of the growth, excision of normal tissue near the tumor margin is often required.

Some have likened the disease to basal cell carcinoma (a skin cancer) in its tendency to spread to adjacent bony and sometimes soft tissues without metastasizing.

While not a cancer that actually invades adjacent tissues, ameloblastoma is suspected to spread to adjacent areas of the jaw bone via marrow space.

Thus, wide surgical margins that are clear of disease are required for a good prognosis. Often, treatment requires excision of entire portions of the jaw.

Large Ameloblastoma of Right Lower Jaw

Planned removal of tumor virtually

Planned jaw bone reconstruction from lower leg

Implants in bone reconstruction with planned immediate prothesis

Final Panorex with Tumor Removed and Bone Reconstructed