Ameloblastic carcinoma: Clinicopathological analysis of 18 cases and a systematic review.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Exploring the clinicopathological features of ameloblastic carcinoma (AC) and reviewing the literature to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data and pathological features of 18 cases of AC were retrospectively analyzed. A systematic review was carried out by searching PubMed and Medline databases using the MeSH terms "ameloblastic" and "carcinoma." RESULTS: In the systematic analysis, 125 cases of AC from 81 eligible original studies and 18 cases of AC from this research were included. The male-to-female ratio was 2.581, and the mandible-to-maxilla ratio was 1.801. Mean age of patients was 45.3 years. Thirty-seven cases of recurrence and 27 cases of metastasis were recorded. CONCLUSION: AC is a rare neoplasm of the odontogenic epithelium. A systematic review indicates that diagnoses at the early phase and a close periodic assessment for recurrence and metastasis are necessary.