Peripheral ameloblastoma: a case report and literature review

Peripheral ameloblastoma (PA) is a rare subtype of ameloblastoma that occurs in soft tissue. It most commonly affects the mandible and is more common in males. It most commonly occurs in the sixth decade of life. This case report represented a 19-year-old girl with a 10-mm lesion on the lingual gingiva of the mandible. The surface was papillary and no pain or bleeding was noted. Histopathologic examination revealed neoplastic proliferation of odontogenic epithelial cells nested in a connective tissue context. Unlike many other PA cases, these nests appeared to originate from the basal cell layer of the epithelium. Cone-beam computed tomography and orthopantomogram did not reveal severe bone involvement and aggression. The patient is planned to be followed-up for 10 years. The prognosis of patients with PA is generally good, but cases of lesion recurrence have been reported. Due to the rarity of PA, further studies are needed on its development and treatment outcome.