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- $Unique_ID{BRK03449}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Ameloblastoma}
- $Subject{Ameloblastoma Adamantinoma Odontogenic Tumor Mandibular Ameloblastoma
- Maxillary Ameloblastoma Hard Odontoma Osteosarcoma Globulomaxiallary Cysts}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1992 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
-
- 908
- Ameloblastoma
-
- ** IMPORTANT **
- It is possible that the main title of the article (Ameloblastoma) is not
- the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to find the
- alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
-
- Synonyms
-
- Adamantinoma
- Odontogenic Tumor
- Mandibular Ameloblastoma
- Maxillary Ameloblastoma
-
- Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related
- Disorders section of this report:
-
- Hard Odontoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Globulomaxiallary Cysts
-
- General Discussion
-
- ** REMINDER **
- The Information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
- educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
- purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
- contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
- section of this report.
-
- Ameloblastoma is a very rare disorder of the jaw and sinuses. Major
- symptoms may include cysts or tumors in the dental area. They may also
- include the sinus, nose and/or eye socket. In some cases the Ameloblastoma
- can become malignant and spread to other areas of the body.
-
- Symptoms
-
- Ameloblastoma is characterized by an abnormal growth in the sinus area or
- jaw, often at the site of the third molar. The tumors or cysts may be
- aggressive and may spread to the nose, eye socket and skull. It is important
- that Ameloblastoma is diagnosed and treated early in order to stop growth of
- the tumors and progression to cancer. Ameloblastomas have been known to
- become malignant and spread to other parts of the body including the lungs.
- However, if the initial treatment removes the entire tumor and a wide margin
- of tissue around the tumor, reoccurrence is rare.
-
- If the Ameloblastoma does become malignant it usually spreads through the
- lymphatic or blood systems. In these cases, although they are rare, the site
- it spreads to most often is the lung area. The Ameloblastoma does not
- usually become malignant unless it has reoccurred after surgery that was
- unsuccessful. Wide margins of healthy tissue around the tumor must be
- removed.
-
- Causes
-
- The cause of Ameloblastoma is not understood. It has been suggested that it
- may be caused by dental irritation during the growth of teeth, the pulling of
- teeth or in some cases by cavities in the teeth. Other causes may include
- injury to the mouth or jaw, infections of the teeth or gums, or inflammation
- of these same areas. Infections by viruses or lack of protein or minerals in
- the persons diet are also suspected of causing the growth or development of
- these tumors. In general, however, scientists do not understand the cause of
- cysts and tumors, nor the reasons why they can become malignant.
-
- Affected Population
-
- Ameloblastoma is a rare disorder that affects males and females in equal
- numbers. It affects persons of all ethnic backgrounds and of all age groups.
- There are more than 200 different forms of cancer, and Malignant
- Ameloblastoma is a very rare form of cancer.
-
- Related Disorders
-
- Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Ameloblastoma.
- Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
-
- Hard Odontoma is a tumor of dental origin. It is composed of several
- characteristics of teeth such as enamel, dentin and cement. The Hard
- Odontoma grows by spreading directly; the Ameloblastoma grows by infiltrating
- other spaces.
-
- Osteosarcoma can often be confused with Ameloblastoma. This cancer of
- the bone differs from the dental tumor by arising from the bone forming cells
- of the long bones.
-
- Globulomaxillary Cysts are located between the teeth and may cause the
- teeth to spread apart. The cysts are either oval or heart shaped and may be
- removed or drained. Sometimes the treatment of the cysts can cause loss of
- teeth.
-
- Therapies: Standard
-
- Ameloblastoma can show up either in a regular x-ray or in an MRI imaging
- study. Treatment of Ameloblastoma consists of surgical removal of the cysts
- or tumors. A wide margin of healthy tissue should be removed from the
- treated area to keep the chance of tumor regrowth to a minimum. If the tumor
- does reoccur surgery is performed again.
-
- If there is malignant spread of the tumor, radiation is the treatment
- choice. Chemotherapy is usually not as effective in these cases.
-
- Therapies: Investigational
-
- This disease entry is based upon medical information available through May
- 1992. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every
- entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please
- check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current
- information about this disorder.
-
- Resources
-
- For more information on Ameloblastoma, please contact:
-
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- P.O. Box 8923
- New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
- (203) 746-6518
-
- NIH/National Institute of Dental Research
- 9000 Rockville Pike
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- (301) 496-4261
-
- The National Cancer Institute
- 9000 Rockville Pike
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- (301) 496-5583 or 5717
- (800) 4-CANCER
-
- American Cancer Society
- 1599 Clifton RD, NE
- Atlanta, GA 30329
- (404) 320-3333
-
- References
-
- DISEASES OF THE NOSE, THROAT, EAR, HEAD, & NECK., 14th Ed., John Jacob
- Ballenger, Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1991. Pp. 213, 328.
-
- METASTASIZING AMELOBLASTOMA., E H Laughlin, Cancer, August 1, 1991 (issue
- 64 (3)). Pp. 776-780.
-
- AMELOBLASTOMA IN YOUNG PERSONS: A CLINICOPATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS AND
- ETIOLOGIC INVESTIGATION. MA Kahn, Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, June, 1998,
- (issue 67 (6)). Pp. 706-715.
-
- AMELOBLASTOMA METASTATIC TO THE LUNG. RP Clay, et al.; Ann Plast Surg,
- February, 1989, (issue 22 (2)). Pp. 160-162.
-
- MAXILLARY AMELOBLASTOMA: CASE REPORT, FJ Sacaccia, et al.; Am J
- Otolaryngol, January-February, 1991, (issue 12 (1)). Pp. 20-25.
-
- AMELOBLASTIC CARCINOMA. REPORT OF AN AGGRESSIVE CASE AND REVIEW OF THE
- LITERATURE, RA Bruce, et al.; J Craniomaxillofac Surg, August, 1991, (issue
- 19 (6)). Pp. 267-271.
-
- DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF METASTATIC AMELOBLASTOMA. AH Eliasson, et
- al.; South Med J, September, 1989, (issue 82 (9)). Pp. 1165-1168.
-
-