Ameloblastic carcinoma of the maxilla

Ameloblastic carcinoma is an unusual tumour. There have been a total of 34 cases of ameloblastic carcinoma in the English literature to date. Of these only 11 cases have occurred in the maxilla. The authors report the 12th such case. The histological classification for odontogenic carcinoma has been debated for many years and recently revised, thus differentiating between malignant ameloblastoma and ameloblastic carcinoma. The authors review the current literature regarding diagnosis and treatment of this unusual lesion, and support the use of the term malignant ameloblastoma for the tumours that metastasize in spite of their benign histological appearance, whereas, the ameloblastic carcinoma is referred to as the primary tumour with malignant transformation, regardless of its metastatic potential.