Ameloblastic carcinoma: Clinicopathological analysis of 18 cases and a systematic review

Objectives Exploring the clinicopathological features of ameloblastic carcinoma (AC) and reviewing the literature to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Materials and Methods Clinical data and pathological features of 18 cases of AC were retrospectively analyzed. A systematic review was carried out by searching PubMed and Medline databases using the MeSH terms ameloblastic and carcinoma. Results In the systematic analysis, 125 cases of AC from 81 eligible original studies and 18 cases of AC from this research were included. The male-to-female ratio was 2.58:1, and the mandible-to-maxilla ratio was 1.80:1. Mean age of patients was 45.3 years. Thirty-seven cases of recurrence and 27 cases of metastasis were recorded. Conclusion AC is a rare neoplasm of the odontogenic epithelium. A systematic review indicates that diagnoses at the early phase and a close periodic assessment for recurrence and metastasis are necessary.