Abstract
Ameloblastoma is generally considered to be a benign tumor, but it often recurs postoperatively, and in a few cases malignant changes have been reported.
We treated a 64-year-old male with an ameloblastoma of the right maxilla which recurred in the left maxilla 1 year later. The first symptom was swelling of the right cheek. He had a severe respiratory disorder as a complication. Therefore at first operation the tumor was removed along with its capsule. But the capsule adhered to the nasal septum, so the tumor was removed with bone of the palate at the adhesion. One year after the operation, the tumor recurred in the left maxilla. The tumor was removed along with the capsule again, because the patient still suffered from the severe respiratory disorder. His postoperative course was followed for 1 year sfter the second operation, but he died of an asthma attack.
