Purpose: To descriptively review the clinicopathologic presentation and management of ameloblastoma in Nigerian children and adolescents and compare this with previous reports in the literature.
Methods and materials: Data were collected from the case files of patients managed at 4 tertiary referral centers in Nigeria.
Results: Out of a total of 360 patients with a diagnosis of ameloblastoma, 79 were under 20 years of age at presentation (21.9%). Only 2.5% of the patients were under 10 years of age. The male-female ratio was 1.3 to 1 with a peak age incidence of 15 years in males and 17 years in females. All the tumors were intraosseous and the majority (94.9%) were situated in the mandible. The most common morphologic type was solid multicystic ameloblastoma (82.3%). The majority (66.2%) had a multilocular radiographic presentation. In most patients (57.3%), the symphysial region of the mandible was involved by the tumor. However, exclusively anterior tumors constituted only 15.2% of the cases, while tumors involving anterior and posterior jaw regions constituted 41.1%. Resection was the predominant (72.2%) form of surgical management.
Conclusion: Ameloblastoma in Nigerian children and adolescents exhibit some peculiar clinical features: these include the predominance of males, and of the solid multicystic morphologic type. In addition, there is site predilection for the symphysial region of the mandible. Radical surgical resection remains the predominant form of treatment. Therefore, varying degrees of interference with facial growth will be present in these children.