Potential pitfalls in diagnostic oral pathology: a review for the general surgical pathologist

Oral developmental, reactive, benign neoplastic and malignant neoplastic conditions, many odontogenic in origin, may not be seen routinely by the general surgical pathologist and therefore may present a diagnostic dilemma. This article describes odontogenic and nonodontogenic conditions with little or no destructive potential along with the more aggressive conditions that resemble them clinically and histologically. The importance of clinical and radiographic correlation as an adjunct to tissue diagnosis is highlighted. Additionally, a brief summary of odontogenesis is presented with attention given to odontogenic embryologic remnants and the developmental and pathologic processes that may arise from them.