Central granular cell odontogenic tumor: a histopathologic and immunohistochemical study

The central granular cell odontogenic tumor (CGCOT) is a rare lesion that usually affects the posterior region of the mandible of young adults. We present a case of CGCOT involving the mandible of a 20-year-old white woman, emphasizing the immunohistochemical characteristics using a large panel of antibodies. The lesion was removed surgically, and after 4 years of follow-up, there are no evidences of recurrences. The odontogenic epithelium (OE) showed positivity for cytokeratins (CKs) AE1/AE3, 34betaE12, CK5, CK7, CK8, CK14, CK19, E-cadherin, beta-catenin, CD138, and p63. The granular cells were positive for vimentin, CD68, lysozyme, muscle-specific actin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, calponin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), CD138, and bcl-2. Dendritic-like cells surrounding the OE displayed positivity for vimentin, CD1a, S100, CD68, and bcl-2, but it was negative for factor XIIIa, supporting a Langerhans cell phenotype. Ki-67 labeling index was 1.8%, whereas p53 was negative. These data confirm the benign nature of CGCOT, the association of OE with Langerhans cells, and a variable phenotype of the granular cells.