Basic and patient-oriented research
Relative Frequency of Central Odontogenic Tumors: A Study of 1,088 Cases from Northern California and Comparison to Studies from Other Parts of the World

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Purpose

To determine the relative frequency of central odontogenic tumors in relation to all biopsy specimens and to one another in an oral pathology biopsy service and to compare the data with previous studies from different parts of the world.

Methods

Files from the Pacific Oral Pathology Laboratory of the University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA served as a source of material for this study. Files were systematically searched for all cases of central (intraosseous) odontogenic tumors during a 20-year period.

Results

Central odontogenic tumors were identified in 1,088 (1.2%) cases out of the 91,178 accessed. Individually, of all odontogenic tumors, 75.9% were odontomas. The prevalence of the remaining tumors appears to be a rare occurrence. The second most common was ameloblastoma (11.7%), followed by odontogenic myxoma (2.2%). Odontomas are considered hamartomas or developmental anomalies. When excluded from the list of individual odontogenic tumors, ameloblastoma is the most common (48.5%), followed by odontogenic myxoma (9.2%), adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (7.3%), ameloblastic fibro-odontoma (7.3%), ameloblastic fibroma (6.5%), calcifying odontogenic cyst (6.5%), and odontogenic fibroma (6.1%). Each remaining tumor comprises less than 4%.

Conclusions

Studies related to the relative frequency of individual odontogenic tumors from different parts of the world are difficult to compare because most studies are outdated, the list of tumors is limited, and new entities are not included. To determine the real relative frequency, further studies should be conducted, especially in Western societies, by experienced pathologists in the field of odontogenic tumors.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

The files from the Pacific Oral Pathology Laboratory of the University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry at San Francisco, CA served as a source of material for this study. The laboratory serves the communities of Northern California and most biopsies are received from private oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Files were systematically searched for all cases of central (intraosseous) odontogenic tumors during a 20-year-period from July 1984 to the end of June 2004. Cases submitted for

Results and Comments

Central (intraosseous) odontogenic tumors were identified in 1,088 (1.2%) cases out of the 91,178 accessed during the 20-year period. Table 1 shows the relative frequency of these odontogenic tumors, which is the largest series reported from 1 source.

Individually, the odontomas comprised about 75% of the odontogenic tumors. Thus, the appearance of the remaining tumors is a relatively rare occurrence. To obtain a better appreciation regarding the relative frequency of these less common

Comparison to Studies from Other Parts of the World

Odontogenic tumors as a group have to be considered as an uncommon lesion because they represent only 1.2% of all biopsy specimens submitted to an oral pathology biopsy service that serves the communities of Northern California. Individually, the odontomas comprised 75.9% of all the odontogenic tumors and thus the prevalence of the remainder of the tumors appears to be a rare occurrence. Ameloblastoma is the second most common (11.7%) and odontogenic myxoma the third (2.2%). The remainder of

Conclusions

  • 1

    There is almost no information from the United States regarding the relative frequency of odontogenic tumors. Analysis of 1,088 cases from one source showed that:

    • Odontogenic tumors are uncommon and comprised only 1.2% of the total biopsies accessed.

    • Individually, odontomas comprised about 75% of odontogenic tumors and thus the appearance of the remaining tumors is a relatively rare occurrence.

    • Odontomas are considered hamartomas or developmental anomalies and when excluded from the list of the

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Ms Rita Lazar for editorial assistance, and Ms Teresita Arenas and Mr Ronald Walters for their technical assistance.

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    The study was supported by the Ed and Herb Stein Chair in Oral Pathology, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

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