Squamous odontogenic tumors (SOTs) are very rare benign locally infiltrative odontogenic
neoplasm
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
s of epithelial origin. Only some 50 cases have been documented. They occur mostly from 20-40 and are more common in males. Treatment is by simple enucleation and local curettage, and recurrence is rare.
Clinical appearance
Clinically, they are initially slow growing and asymptomatic but may cause mobility or displacement of teeth. They may occur anywhere in the jaws but are more common in the posterior mandible and anterior maxilla. They are usually intrabony, but some peripheral cases have been observed. Radiographically, they are small unilocular or larger multilocular well defined non-corticated
radiolucencies, triangular or crescent in shape, with the base apically between adjacent roots of vital teeth. They are often misdiagnosed as
periodontitis
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a set of inflammatory conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums become swollen and red and may bleed. It is considered the main caus ...
. SOT should be suspected where isolated periodontal defects occur without obvious risk factors.
Histology
Lesions are non-encapsulated with islands of well differentiated squamous epithelium that commonly contain microcysts and calcifications in a dense fibrous connective tissue stroma. The pathogenesis is unclear but they appear to arise from the gingival epithelium or
cell rests of Malassez or Serres. This presentation is similar to that of
squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs), also known as epidermoid carcinomas, comprise a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...
s; however, the epithelium of SOT is highly differentiated.
[Mardones Ndo R, Gamba Tde O, Flores IL, de Almeida SM, Lopes SL. ''Squamous Odontogenic Tumor: Literature Review Focusing on the Radiographic Features and Differential Diagnosis.'' Open Dent J. 2015;9:154-8. Published 2015 May 15]
doi:10.2174/1874210601509010154
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References
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Odontogenic tumors