Ameloblastoma is an odontogenic tumour that is benign but locally aggressive and is associated with local recurrence. They are rare, accounting for 1% of oral tumours, and occur almost exclusively in the jaws. It is more common in the mandible and occurs most frequently at the angle. It has traditionally been treated aggressively with wide local excision, marginal or sectional resections. The authors discuss the management of this lesion using a 19-year-old female patient as an example. This patient presented with a large cyst that on orthopantomogram (OPG) appeared radiolucent, centred around the third molar and ascending ramus of the mandible. Initial treatment with decompression and daily irrigation was followed by a further enucleation procedure and application of Carnoy’s solution. Three years post-operatively the patient is well with no recurrence. This does confirm that a less radical approach in the treatment is possible at least for some types of unicystic ameloblastomas. This is a well written and succinct paper quite pertinent for surgeons that operate in the maxillofacial region.
A conservative approach to treat ameloblastoma
Reviewed by Sunil Kumar Bhatia
Conservative approach: using decompression procedure for management of a large unicystic ameloblastoma of the mandible.
