Abstract
Ameloblastoma is an epithelial odontogenic tumor that occurs most frequently in the jaws. However, it can occur rarely in soft tissue, and such cases are commonly referred to as peripheral ameloblastoma. We encountered a case of peripheral ameloblastoma that arose in the lingual gingiva of a mandibular molar in a 48-year-old man. An initial medical examination revealed a papilloma-like lesion, which was diagnosed pathologically as papilloma on examination of a biopsy specimen. We completely excised this tumor for histological study, and the final diagnosis was peripheral ameloblastoma. This papilloma-like lesion was confirmed to have arisen from the odontogenic epithelium by immunohistochemical studies with anti-cytokeratin antibody. Here we describe this case of peripheral ameloblastoma.
