title: Malignant ameloblastoma: concurrent presentation of primary and distant disease and review of the literature.
abstract: Malignant ameloblastoma is a rare tumor of odontogenic origin with a metastatic focus. Distant metastatic disease is found most commonly in the lungs. A review of the literature shows that most cases of malignant ameloblastoma involve a disease-free period from primary tumor extirpation to the discovery of metastasis. This report describes the case of a 56-year-old man presenting with ameloblastoma of the maxilla and a solitary pulmonary metastasis concurrently. This represents a rare case in which there is a simultaneous diagnosis of primary ameloblastoma and a metastatic lesion. Appropriate workup for ameloblastoma includes surveillance for metastatic disease. Surgical resection of primary and distant disease is recommended. Chemotherapy and radiation may play a role in palliation when resection of metastatic disease is not feasible.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Nikhil K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed