Cone-beam CT features of ameloblastomas / 华西口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize and analyze the cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging features of ameloblastomas for clinical preoperative diagnosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-seven cases with complete data proven by pathology were retrospectively studied for distinct CBCT features.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 37 cases, 31 were primary and 6 were recurrent. On CBCT images, the 37 cases were composed of 36 cases (97.3%) of intraosseous lesions (17 cases of multilocular lesions, 17 cases of unilocular lesions, and 2 cases of honeycomb lesion) and 1 case (2.7%) of extraosseous lesion (soft tissue lesion). Of the 17 multilocular cases, 15 (88.2%) showed tongue-shaped crests in lesions. Thirty-four cases (94.4%) showed apparent expansible change toward lip/buccal and (or) palatal/lingual sides ofjaw, with partialcortical erosion.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CBCT imaging yields accurate three-dimensional images of lesion shape and structure. Therefore, CBCT can be usedfor the clinical diagnosis and surgical assessment of ameloblastoma.</p>