UNICYSTIC AND MULTICYSTIC AMELOBLASTOMAS: CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC, AND HISTOLOGIC ASPECTS

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare cases of multicystic (MA) and unicystic ameloblastomas (UA). Methods The classification was based on the radiographic aspects. In addition, characteristics such as symptomatology, age, sex, and anatomic region were also compared. Fisher exact test was performed, with significance level of .05. Results The radiographic analyses were performed and the posterior region was the most prevalent one (77.6%), 15.3% cases were located in the anterior region, and 7.1% were observed in both regions. Moreover, 55 cases were classified as MA and 43 as UA. The cortical expansion was observed in 90 cases; from this amount, 54 cases of ameloblastoma were MA (98.2%) and 36 cases of UA (80%) (P = .01). The predominant histologic patterns in MA were the plexiform pattern (36%) and the follicular type (29%) and for UA were cystic (51%) and plexiform pattern (31%). Conclusions Radiographs and histopathologic exams are essential for the diagnosis of ameloblastoma. Unicystic ameloblastomas cannot be considered a less aggressive entity compared with the multicistic ameloblastoma in the studied cases. Institutional grant from Sao Leopoldo Mandic Dental School (PIC 021/2017).