Advanced mandibular ameloblastoma: a case report
Keywords:
Ameloblastoma, Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral neoplasmsAbstract
Introduction: ameloblastoma is the most frequent benign epithelial odontogenic tumor, characterized by slow growth, high recurrence rate, and extensive bone destruction capacity. Delayed diagnosis results in large lesions with functional compromise and severe facial deformities.
Objective: to describe a case of advanced mandibular ameloblastoma in a geriatric patient, emphasizing the implications of delayed diagnosis in surgical management.
Case presentation: 78-year-old male patient with progressive volume increase in left hemiface and neck of 10 years evolution. Presented mechanical dysphagia, dysarthria, and recurrent oral bleeding. Physical examination revealed 10 cm diameter tumor, stony consistency, without inflammatory signs. Computed tomography showed multilocular osteolytic lesion of 7.2 × 9.9 cm occupying body and ascending ramus of left hemimandible, with destruction of more than 50% of bone. Incisional biopsy confirmed ameloblastoma. Radical hemimandibulectomy with disarticulation and safety margins was performed under general anesthesia. Definitive histopathological study confirmed follicular ameloblastoma. Postoperative evolution was satisfactory, without complications, discharged on tenth day.
Conclusions: delayed diagnosis of ameloblastoma in geriatric patients determines the need for extensive surgical resections with greater morbidity. This case underscores the importance of systematic oral examination in routine stomatological practice for early detection of odontogenic lesions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Pedro Alberto Pérez-Pagés, Maria Teresa Lima-Reyna , Eric Gustavo Espino-Hernández, Eliovanis Perera-Cadavieco
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