Erupting Compound Odontome - A Case Report

Abstract

Odontomas are asymptomatic, benign odontogenic tumours comprised of dental tissue. Most of the cases usually get detected on routine radiographic evaluation. Odontoma can be classified according to morphology in two different variants, compound odontoma showing anatomic similarity or miniature version of the tooth and complex odontoma having irregular masses with different type of dental tissues. Early detection of such type of silent lesion is mandatory to rule out certain silent but aggressive pathologies. Here, we present a case of erupting compound odontoma of maxillary area in 15-year-old male patient. Development of tooth is a result of complicated interaction between ectodermal and ecto mesenchymal tissue. Sometimes the remnants of such tissues are left behind in the jaw after development and eruption of tooth, which can become a source of development of odontogenic lesions later on.1 As revealed by World Health Organization (WHO), Odontogenic tumours can be classified in three different categories according to their histopathological form.2 1. Odontogenic tumours which develop from odontogenic epithelium without involvement of odontogenic ectomesenchyme, 2. Odontogenic tumours which develop from odontogenic epithelium with involvement of odontogenic ectomesenchyme, with or without formation of dental hard tissue and 3. Odontogenic tumours which develop from odontogenic ectomesenchyme with or without involvement of odontogenic epithelium.2 For such lesions “Odontoma” word was initially given by Paul Broca in 1866, who revealed the term as tumour occurred by the overgrowth of entire dental tissue. The growth of absolutely differentiated epithelial cells as functional ameloblast and mesenchymal cells as functional odontoblast can give rise to a different developmental anomaly coined as Odontomas.3 According to their behaviour and composition, odontomas can be considered as malformations or hamartomas rather than a true neoplasm. 4,5,6 In 2005, World Health Organization (WHO) classified two variants of odontomas, 1. Compound odontomas, which typically appears as unilocular lesions containing multiple radiopaque, tiny tooth like structures commonly known as denticles; and 2. Complex odontomas, which is comprised of an irregular mass of soft and hard dental tissues.