2024 Volume 70 Issue 4 Pages 164-168
Odontoma is an odontogenic tumor that occurs relatively frequently and is sometimes seen with calcified odontogenic cysts（COC）. Histopathologically, COC is characterized by calcification of the epithelium and the appearance of ghost cells. In this study, we report a case of maxillary compound odontoma with COC-like changes. The patient was a 3-year-old girl who was referred to our department because of delayed eruption of her right maxillary deciduous canine tooth in April 2019. Intraoral examination revealed a 12-mm（diameter）, bone-like, hard mass on the right maxillary buccal gingiva in the deciduous canine region. A panoramic radiograph showed a 12 × 11 mm, unilocular, cystic radiolucent area with multiple radiopaque toothlike structures from the right maxillary second premolar to the first molar region. Consequently, the clinical diagnosis was an odontoma on the right maxillary. To avoid damage to the tooth embryo of the right maxillary first premolar during tumor enucleation, we decided to wait for the completion of the crown of the right maxillary first premolar tooth embryo to perform the enucleation surgery. Tumor enucleation was performed under general anesthesia in December 2022. Histopathological findings revealed ghost cells and calcification around the cells in a part of the compound odontoma. One year after surgery, healing of the surgical wound was good, normal development was observed, and there was no indication of recurrence.
