title: A review of 156 odontogenic tumours in Calabar, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Odontogenic tumours occur in our environment and because of late treatment, cause considerable disabilities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review cases of odontogenic tumours in our centre in order to obtain a baseline data and subsequently compare the results with that obtained elsewhere.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using hospital case files and register, we carried out a 15-year retrospective study of odontogenic tumours at the Dental and Maxillofacial Clinic, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The data documented include age, gender, duration of lesion, type of tumour, socio-economic class, type of surgery, and complaints during follow-up reviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the patients (n=49, 31.4%) were in the third decade of life. There were 85 (54.5%) males and 71 (45.5%) females, giving male to female ratio of 1.2:1. There was a significant association between the type of odontogenic tumour and the age of occurrence (p=0.000). The longer the duration of symptoms before presentation, the larger the tumours (p=0.000). The benign odontogenic tumours were 151 (96.8%), ameloblastoma (n=74, 47.4%) being the commonest. Jaw resection (54.5%) was the predominant treatment. Majority (58.0%) of the complications following treatment were Facial deformity, malocclusion and impaired mastication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Majority of the patients was in the lower socio-economic class, presented late for treatment and a few with aesthetic and functional impairment returned for secondary surgery. The intervention of agencies of government and non-governmental organizations is required to assist these patients if we are to accomplish the core healthcare system values in our environment.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Unit, Department of Dental Surgery, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Anyanechi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Saheeb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D063169:Dentofacial Deformities / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000209:etiology; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008409:Mastication; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D009549:Nigeria; D009808:Odontogenic Tumors / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D047368:Tumor Burden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Odontogenic; ameloblastoma; complications; late presentation; tumour(s)