Recurrent follicular ameloblastoma of the maxilla: a case report
Abstract
Objectives: This report aims to describe the clinical and radiological characteristics of ameloblastoma. This benign odontogenic tumor rarely occurs in the upper jaw, and to emphasize the importance of using panoramic radiography in confirming the diagnosis.Case Report: A 52-year-old female patient presented with a lump in the right upper jaw that had been present for three months. She reported that a small lump first appeared four years earlier and had gradually increased in size. The patient had a history of surgery to remove a lump and extraction of a right maxillary tooth in 2021, with histopathological analysis (HPA) revealing ameloblastoma. She also reported tenderness in the area and the presence of a salty discharge from the mouth. Panoramic radiography and CT scan revealed a unilocular, homogeneous radiolucent lesion, ovoid with well-defined margins, located in the edentulous posterior right alveolar ridge. The lesion extended superiorly toward the base of the right maxillary sinus and inferiorly toward the crest of the alveolar ridge. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy, with a histopathological examination confirming the diagnosis of a bone tumor (ameloblastoma). This was followed by a segmental maxillectomy in the region of teeth 12–15 under general anesthesia. Ameloblastoma has a high tendency to recur, particularly when conservative management fails to completely remove the tumor. In this case, pathological examination, along with panoramic and CT imaging, confirmed recurrent ameloblastoma.
Conclusion: The diagnosis of recurrent follicular ameloblastoma of the maxilla was established through a combination of clinical evaluation, radiographic imaging, and histopathological examination.
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Balasubramaniam S, Jayaraman B, Thirunavukkarasu R, Kamalakaran AK. Recurrent ameloblastoma 24 years after hemimandibulectomy: A case report and review of literature. Indian J Dent Res. 2019;30(6):960–3.
Shivani S, Kamal H, Abhijeet A. Follicular ameloblastoma: A case report. SRM J Res Dent Sci. 2019;10(3):171–3.
Karjodkar FR. Essentials of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2019. p.403–53.
Eversole LR, Leider AS, Hansen LS. Ameloblastomas with pronounced desmoplasia. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1984;42(11):735–40.
Pachigolla R, Velugubantla RG, Chennoju SK, Erva S. Acanthomatous ameloblastoma: A rare presentation. J Indian Acad Oral Med Radiol. 2016;28(1):61–5.
Rai S, Misra D, Prabhat M, Jain A, Jain P. Hybrid ameloblastoma of anterior maxilla: A rare and puzzling pathologic entity – Case report with systematic review. Contemp Clin Dent. 2019;10(1):147–53.
Sheela S, Penyanyi SR, Braidy HF, Alhatem A, Creanga AG. Maxillary ameloblastoma in an 8-year-old child: A case report with a review of literature. Imaging Sci Dent. 2019;49(3):241–9.
Mahdi A, Varnos M, Narges H. Recurrent maxillary ameloblastoma: A case report. J Craniomaxillofac Res. 2020;7(2):98–101.
El-Naggar AK, Chan JKC, Takata T, Grandis JR, Slootweg PJ. The fourth edition of the head and neck World Health Organization blue book: Editor perspectives. Hum Pathol. 2017;66:10–2.
Bhuyan SK, Bhuyan R, Sahoo TK, Das P. Recurrence of plexiform ameloblastoma as acanthomatous ameloblastoma: A rare case report. Contemp Clin Dent. 2019;10(1):178–81.
Bi L, Wei D, Hong D, Wang J, Qian K, Wang H, et al. A retrospective study of 158 cases on the risk factors for recurrence in ameloblastoma. Int J Med Sci. 2021;18(14):3326–32.
Chebil A, Hasnaoui M, Bhar S, Masmoudi M, Bellalah A, Mighri K. Asymptomatic ameloblastoma of the maxilla with infratemporal fossa involvement: A case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;98:107457.
Au SW, Li KY, Choi WS, Su YX. Risk factors for recurrence of ameloblastoma: A long-term follow-up retrospective study. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019;48(10):1300–6.
Bernaola-Paredes M, Albuja-Rivadeneira E, Novelli F, Dalcin JF, Vartanian JG, Kohler HF. Refractory ameloblastoma in the maxilla: Clinical, imaging, histological, surgical and mutational characterization – A case series. Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr. 2013;6(4):243–52.
Elmrini BS, Raiteb M, Razem B, Azami Hassani FZ, Slimani F. Ameloblastoma giant: Diagnosis, treatment, and reconstruction: A case report. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2021;68:102589.
Alok A, Hasan K, Singh S, Bhattacharya PT. Odontogenic myxoma involving maxilla: A case report. J Indian Acad Oral Med Radiol. 2019;31(1):70–3.
Published
2025-05-31
How to Cite
HAJAR, Hasmawati; YUNUS, Barunawaty; GAZALI, Mohammad.
Recurrent follicular ameloblastoma of the maxilla: a case report.
Jurnal Radiologi Dentomaksilofasial Indonesia (JRDI), [S.l.], v. 9, n. 1, p. 33-36, may 2025.
ISSN 2686-1321.
Available at: <http://jurnal.pdgi.or.id/index.php/jrdi/article/view/1288>. Date accessed: 29 june 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.32793/jrdi.v9i1.1288.
Section
Case Report
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
