Odontogenic myxoma of the mandible: a case report

The odontogenic myxoma is a tumor of the jaws which arises from the mesenchymal portion of the tooth germ, either the dental papilla, the follicle, or the periodontal ligament. It is a slow-growing, painless, nonmetastasizing, central tumor of the jaws, chiefly the mandible. Radiographically, the classic presentation may vary from a unilocular radiolucency to a multilocular lesion with well-defined or diffuse margins. On histological study, it is composed of triangular or stellate connective cells, anastomosed by fine extensions, and embedded in abundant mucoid material.

We present the unusual case of an odontogenic myxoma involving a 37-year-old female patient, which had acquired large dimensions and involved the right half of the mandible, including the ramus; the patient was treated with large resection surgery, with satisfying medium-term results.

Early diagnosis of such lesions is very important, as the patient avoids extensive surgical procedures that involve losing a large part of the jawbones and their subsequent impact on the patient's quality of life.

Although there is no fixed treatment plan for the management of odontogenic myxoma, treatment includes surgical management that may range from simple enucleation and curettage to surgical excision; wide surgical resection is appropriate for cases of large size to avoid recurrence.