Unicystic ameloblastoma: Analysis of 370 cases in a single center in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Unicystic ameloblastoma (UA) is a variant of ameloblastoma that has a relatively benign biologic behavior and mostly occurs in a younger age group. The entire cystic lining of unicystic ameloblastoma may not always be uniformly characteristic and may partly consist of non-specific epithelium or dentigerous cyst-like lining. The variability seen reinforces the advice that multiple biopsies should be taken from large cystic lesions to represent the entire lesion.

METHODS: All cases were retrieved from the archives of our unit from 1986 to 2016. Demographic data such as age, gender, and primary site were recorded. Histologically, all the cases were subcategorized according to the WHO 2017 classification.

RESULTS: UA accounts for 31.1% out of all different subtypes of ameloblastoma, and male-to-female ratio is 1.08:1. Age ranged from 4 to 88 years with the mean age of 30.25 years. Peak incidence of UA was found in the range of 11-20 years, and 89% of them occurred in the mandible and 55.3% in the canine-to-first molar region. The right side was frequent in both upper and lower jaws. Of the total sample, 233 (63%) cases were luminal and 137 (37%) cases were mural, and 13 cases recurred (3.5%).

CONCLUSION: The present report analyzes the largest UA sample in a single center. There is a clear need for further large case-controlled retrospective or prospective studies of the management of UA with careful and follow-up studies to draw conclusions on the correct method of treatment of these lesions.