[Cone-beam CT features of ameloblastomas]

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• Oncologic Imaging
• Dental Diagnostics

Background:

• Ameloblastoma is a common odontogenic tumor requiring accurate preoperative assessment.
• Cone-beam CT (CBCT) offers advanced imaging capabilities for maxillofacial pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and summarize the cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging features of ameloblastomas.
• To evaluate the utility of CBCT in the clinical preoperative diagnosis of ameloblastoma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 37 pathologically confirmed ameloblastoma cases.
• Detailed examination of distinct CBCT imaging features for each case.

Main Results:

• CBCT identified 97.3% intraosseous lesions (multilocular, unilocular, honeycomb) and 2.7% extraosseous lesions.
• Multilocular ameloblastomas frequently exhibited tongue-shaped crests (88.2%).
• Expansile changes with cortical erosion were observed in 94.4% of cases.

Conclusions:

• CBCT provides accurate 3D visualization of ameloblastoma shape and structure.
• CBCT is a valuable tool for the clinical diagnosis and surgical assessment of ameloblastoma.