Ameloblastomas of the mandible and maxilla

Ameloblastoma is a histologically benign but locally aggressive tumor of the jaws. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to review the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of patients with ameloblastoma of the mandible and maxilla and to report the outcomes of treatment. Our study population was made up of a series of 30 consecutively presenting patients-15 men and 15 women, aged 19 to 81 years (median: 61.5)-who had undergone their primary treatment of ameloblastoma of the mandible or maxilla at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from January 1987 through December 2012. In addition to demographic data, we compiled information on clinical characteristics, imaging findings, the type of surgery, surgical margins, adjuvant treatments, histologic patterns, length of follow-up, time to recurrence, treatment of recurrence, and factors that had an influence on recurrence. All but 2 patients with negative margins were cured. Favorable outcomes were associated with the administration of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy for patients with positive margins and a repeat resection for patients with recurrences. Complete excision with negative margins, however, remains the gold standard for curative treatment.