AMELOBLASTIC FIBROMA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI DENTAL HOSPITAL

Objective: To document the occurrence of cases of ameloblastic fibroma.Design: A retrospective study.Setting: The Division of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine histopathology laboratory atthe Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi, January 1991 to December 2000.Results: Seven complete records of histopathologically confirmed cases of ameloblasticfibroma were identified. There were four male and three female cases with an age rangeof 10 to 22 years (mean=14 years). Remarkably, six of the cases had lesions in the molarregions of the mandible with a single case with a maxillary molar area lesion. Oneof the cases had the neoplasm associated with an unerupted tooth. From the clinicalnotes all the patients were managed by meticulous enucleation and curettage of thelesions. After follow up periods ranging from several months to eight years norecurrences had been recorded.Conclusion: Evidently ameloblastic fibroma is an uncommon neoplasm as noted in the earlierliterature. Although the lesions can be quite extensive at the time of diagnosis, the recurrencerate appears to be relatively low if the neoplasms are meticulously extirpated