Clinical, Imaging, Histopathological, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Profile of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Scoping Review

Cristian Camilo Torres-Alvarez; Claudia Patricia Peña-Vega; Andres Felipe Fernández-Macías; Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Mora

doi:10.5327/2525-5711.515

Autores/as

Cristian Camilo Torres-Alvarez School of Dentistry, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C. – Colombia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5571-4121
Claudia Patricia Peña-Vega School of Dentistry, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C. – Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4532-3642
Andres Felipe Fernández-Macías School of Dentistry, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C. – Colombia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1106-9523
Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Mora School of Dentistry, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C. – Colombia https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3198-1861

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5327/2525-5711.515

Palabras clave:

Adenoid ameloblastoma, Odontogenic tumors, Immunohistochemistry, Molecular pathology, Scoping review

Resumen

Adenoid ameloblastoma is a rare odontogenic tumor with locally aggressive behavior, overlapping histologic features, and heterogeneous molecular findings. This study described its clinical, imaging, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular profile through a PRISMA-ScR–based scoping review of case reports and series. A total of 109 patients were included, with male predominance and peak incidence between 20–50 years. The mandible was most affected. Swelling and prolonged symptom duration were common, with lesions >30 mm appearing as well-defined radiolucencies. Histologically, dentinoid material and duct-like structures predominated. β-catenin showed high positivity, whereas CTNNB1 mutations were variable, and BRAF V600E and KRAS alterations were infrequently detected. Treatment was heterogeneous, mainly surgical. Recurrence occurred in 57.14%, though most patients were disease-free at last follow-up. Despite supporting its recognition as a distinct entity, gaps in molecular data, reporting heterogeneity, and lack of standardized management limit clinical decision-making.

Citas

[1] International Agency for Research on Cancer. WHO Classification of Tumors. Head and neck tumors. 5th Ed. Lyon: WHO; 2022. p. 206-7

[2] de Farias Morais HG, Gonçalo RIC, de Oliveira Costa CS, de Figueiredo Pires H, Mafra RP, de Morais EF, et al. A Systematic Review of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Newly Recognized Entity. Head and Neck Pathol 2023;17:688–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-023-01574-6.

[3] Odell EW, Gomes CC, Thavaraj S. The evolving molecular characterisation, histological criteria and nomenclature of adenoid ameloblastoma as a World Health Organisation tumour type. Histopathology 2024;85:846–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/his.15270.

[4] Deorah DrS, Gupta DrS. Adenoid ameloblastoma revisited: A discursive exploration of its histological dualism, molecular aberrations, and clinical recurrence. Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology 2025;42:13–7. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semdp.2024.10.001.

[5] Fonseca YG, Bastos VC, Moreira RG, Fonseca FP, Vargas PA, Wright JM, et al. Expanding the Molecular Characterization of Adenoid Ameloblastoma by Assessing a Panel of Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes. Modern Pathology 2026;39:100920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.modpat.2025.100920.

[6] Martins-Chaves RR, Coura BP, Gomes CC, Fonseca FP, de Castro WH, Gomez RS. Unicystic adenoid ameloblastoma: A new variant? Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology 2022;134:e23–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2021.10.005.

[7] Torres OKMR, Silva NR, da Silva Barros CC, de Carvalho Wanderley G, Pereira OHG, da Costa Miguel MC. Adenoid Ameloblastoma: The Newly Recognized Odontogenic Tumor – A Case Report. Head and Neck Pathol 2024;18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-024-01669-8.

[8] Chettiankandy TJ, Sachdev SS, Kende PP, Sardar MA, Saju R. Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid: A rare hybrid odontogenic tumor. Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology 2023;67:441–4. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpm.ijpm_186_22.

[9] Khalaj F, Cinel L, Aminishakib P, Mosavat F, Soluk-Tekkesin M. Adenoid ‘ameloblastoma’: Clinicopathological description of 4 additional BRAF-negative cases. Journal of Stomatology Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 2023;124:101585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jormas.2023.101585.

[10] Xue J, Zhang W, Zhang J, Bai J, Zhang A, Guo X, et al. Adenoid Ameloblastoma Shares Clinicopathologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Features With Dentinogenic Ghost Cell Tumor. American Journal of Surgical Pathology 2023;47:1274–84. https://doi.org/10.1097/pas.0000000000002104.

[11] Noda Y, Sawada S, Sakagami T, Kojima Y, Higasa K, Tsuta K. Adenoid Ameloblastoma with BRAF p.V600E Mutation Revealing Ameloblastomatous Origin: A First Case Report. Head and Neck Pathol 2023;17:788–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-023-01555-9.

[12] Oh K-Y, Hong S-D, Yoon H-J. Adenoid Ameloblastoma Shares Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Features With Dentinogenic Ghost Cell Tumor: The Histologic Spectrum of WNT Pathway–Altered Benign Odontogenic Tumors. Modern Pathology 2023;36:100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.modpat.2022.100051.

[13] Alramadhan SA, Ruddocks LA, Bhattacharyya I, Cohen DM, Islam MN. A rare case of peripheral adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology 2023;135:e10–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2022.08.015.

[14] Coura BP, dos Santos JN, Fonseca FP, Bernardes VF, de Aquino SN, Jorge Júnior J, et al. Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid is molecularly different from ameloblastomas and adenomatoid odontogenic tumors. J Oral Pathology Medicine 2021;50:1067–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.13243.

[15] de Arruda JAA, Noronha MS, Abreu LG, de Lacerda JCT, Silva TA, Mesquita RA. Adenoid ameloblastoma in the posterior maxilla: a case report and review of the literature. Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020;24:243–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-020-00830-1.

[16] Adorno-Farias D, Muniz VRVM, Soares AP, Cury PR, Rabelo RG, Fernández-Ramires R, et al. Ameloblastoma with adenoid features: A series of eight cases. Acta Histochemica 2018;120:468–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acthis.2018.05.006.

[17] Titinchi F, Sallies M, Opperman J. Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Case Report on this Newly Recognized Under-Treated Odontogenic Tumour. J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2025;24:1863–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12663-025-02592-3.

[18] Datar UV, Kamat M, Byakodi SS, Madhusudan DK. Clinicopathological Considerations in the Treatment of Unicystic Adenoid Ameloblastoma in Young Adults: A Clinical Case. Cureus 2025. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.87753.

[19] Keshwar S, Raut T, Jain N, Shrestha A, Jaisani MR. Histopathological Insight of a Case of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: A Rare Odontogenic Tumor. Case Reports in Dentistry 2024;2024. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8366045.

[20] Sharma G, Kamboj M, Narwal A, Devi A, Singh V. Demystifying Histologic Conundrum of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: Case Report with Literature Review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023;75:2432–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-03534-6.

[21] Rai HK, Pai SM, Dayakar A, Supriya H. Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid: A rare hybrid variant. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology 2017;21:319–319. https://doi.org/10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_53_15.

[22] Mehri T, Salehinejad J, Gholami M, Eshghpour M. An infrequent histopathological subtype of ameloblastoma: Adenoid granular cell ameloblastoma with dentinoid. Dent Res J 2016;13:376. https://doi.org/10.4103/1735-3327.187878.

[23] Saxena K, Jose M, Chatra L, Sequiera J. Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2012;16:272. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029x.99088.

[24] Matsumoto Y, Mizoue K, Seto K. Atypical plexiform ameloblastoma with dentinoid: adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid. J Oral Pathology Medicine 2001;30:251–4. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0714.2001.300410.x.

[25] Bastos VC, Coura BP, Guimarães LM, Fernandes BG, Chan AC-L, Vargas PA, et al. Adenoid ameloblastoma harbors beta-catenin mutations. Modern Pathology 2022;35:1562–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41379-022-01125-4.

[26] Jayasooriya PR, Abeyasinghe WAMUL, Liyanage RLPR, Uthpali GN, Tilakaratne WM. Diagnostic Enigma of Adenoid Ameloblastoma: Literature Review Based Evidence to Consider It as a New Sub Type of Ameloblastoma. Head and Neck Pathol 2021;16:344–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-021-01358-w.

[27] Pandiar D, Ramani P, Shameena PM, Krishnan RP, Monica K. Adenoid ameloblastoma: A neglected variant of ameloblastoma or a separate entity? Oral Oncology 2022;125:105681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2021.105681.

[28] Khalele B. A. O. Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid and cellular atypia: a case report and literature review. Pathologica; 109(4), 379–381.

[29] Loyola AM, Cardoso SV, de Faria PR, Servato JPS, Eisenberg ALA, Dias FL, et al. Adenoid ameloblastoma: clinicopathologic description of five cases and systematic review of the current knowledge. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology 2015;120:368–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2015.05.011.

[30] Chae MP, Smoll NR, Hunter-Smith DJ, Rozen WM. Establishing the Natural History and Growth Rate of Ameloblastoma with Implications for Management: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE 2015;10:e0117241. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117241.