Histopathological Insight of a Case of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Rare Odontogenic Tumor

Abstract

Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid had been perceived as a rare odontogenic tumor with bridging histopathological features between ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor. Due to the mixture of histopathological features of two separate and well-recognized entities, adenoid ameloblastoma was also regarded as a hybrid lesion. The diversity in the histopathological presentation among the cases has disaccorded the nature, behaviour, and prognosis of this pathology. Despite the literature acknowledging the histopathological diversity, categorizing all these variations into one and addressing them as a single entity was lagging till the 5th edition of the odontogenic tumor classification by the WHO was forwarded. With the establishment of the new terminology of adenoid ameloblastoma and the enlistment of its diagnostic criteria, the scientific literature has advocated updating, contributing, and redefining the various aspects of this pathology. Here, we present a case of a 34-year-old male who presented with a chief complaint of swelling in the lower front region of his jaw in the past one month. The swelling was associated with pain that was sudden in onset with a progressive increase in size. The swelling was also associated with discharge that resembled pus. A panoramic radiograph showed a mixed radiopaque and radiolucent area, extending from the distal aspect of 32 up to the distal aspect of 43. The entire cystic lining along with the growth was excised and sent for histopathological examination. Correlating clinically, the histopathological features are suggestive of adenoid ameloblastoma. Scientific literature has stood as a boon to evidence-based practice. The diagnosis for the present case report is truly an outcome of the literature-based update which helped the diagnosis of the case as a separate entity rather than as a hybrid pathology. The goal was to enhance the understanding of the lesions in terms of their clinical characteristics and diverse histopathological morphology.