Adenomatoid odontogenic tumour (adenoameloblastoma)--a review.

The adenomatoid odontogenic tumour (AOT) is a rare benign neoplasm of odontogenic origin. A review of the available published literature reports on AOT from Africa reveals that 33 cases appear to have been reported and that the tumour tends to occur in young patients, from 10-28 years with a mean age of 16.2 years. Females are affected more than males, with a female:male ratio of 3:2. 65.6% of cases were in the maxilla and 34.4% in the mandible, the majority of which (92.3%) are located in the anterior region of the jaws. 66.7% of the cases are associated with unerupted teeth. Clinically, AOT shows increasingly painless swellings which may eventually cause facial deformity. Tentative clinical diagnosis based on radiology is not pathognomonic for AOT; histopathological confirmation is necessary since incorrect diagnosis may lead to mutilating surgery whereas the lesion is benign with limited growth potential and treatment requires only simple surgical enucleation. Recurrence is rare.