Pediatric odontogenic tumor of the jaw - a case report

Central jaw tumors (intra osseous) in children occur infrequently and few oral pathologists have had the opportunity or experience in diagnosing these lesions and predicting their biological behavior. Some children are not diagnosed correctly at the initial stages as having a neoplasm and are wrongly treated for infections by antibiotic administration. Subsequent to an unresponsive antibiotic therapy radiographs are taken to reveal a radiolucent or radio dense lesion in the jaws. Finally a tissue diagnosis becomes necessary in order to diagnose and initiate proper therapy. One among the central jaw tumors that occur infrequently in children is Ameloblastoma. It is often aggressive and destructive, with the capacity to attain great size, erode bone and invade adjacent structures. Ameloblastoma not only accounts for 1% of all tumors of maxilla and mandible but also 11% of all odontogenic tumors. It has a high percentage of local recurrence rate and possible malignant development when treated inadequately. Here we present a central jaw tumor in an 8-year-old child which was a case of unusually large plexiform ameloblastoma involving entire ramus up to the condyle, and part of body of the mandible.