Mandibular unicystic ameloblastoma revealed by florid epulis of the gum: Case report

Ameloblastomas are quite frequent odontogenic tumors, they can be intraosseous or peripheral to the gum, it's rare to find an intraosseous ameloblastoma with gingival extension. Here, we report the case of a 40 years old woman who presented with an exophytic gingival lesion at the gum level of the 46 tooth that was extracted at a quack 01 years before her consultation due to pain in this area. Clinical and radiological examination revealed the presence of two tumors in the same area. The patient benefited from an excision of her gingival tumor and an enucleation of her intraosseous tumor. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations revealed that the respective tumors were a spindle cell epulis and an intraluminal unicystic ameloblastoma of different origins, leaving the question and search for the relationship between these two tumors. The postoperative course was uneventful during the 12-month follow-up period after surgical treatment.
Highlights • Ameloblastoma is a fairly rare tumor that can be intraosseous or peripheral. • It is rare to find a peripheral ameloblastoma that reaches the bone or an intraosseous ameloblastoma that extends to the gum. • The occurrence of two tumors in the same anatomical region, makes one wonder about the relationship between the two.