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  Discussion on Ameloblastoma
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New Member:
lbennett

Posted on Saturday, Mar 1, 2014 - 12:51 pm:

Curious as to recurrence rates and genetic implications. Have a coming 2 year old Arab filly with an aggressive ameloblastoma that was just removed and having a hard time finding up to date info on this cancer. Very rare. Thank you.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Mar 2, 2014 - 10:05 pm:

Welcome LBennet,
Open questions like this are hard to answer because it is unclear exactly what information you are looking for. Here is some general questions but treatment and prognosis information on amelobastomas depends almost entirely on location and how extensive the lesion. This is edited from Wikipedia:

Ameloblastoma (from the early English word amel, meaning enamel + the Greek word blastos, meaning germ[1]) is a rare, benign tumor of odontogenic epithelium (ameloblasts, or outside portion, of the teeth during development) much more commonly appearing in the lower jaw than the upper jaw.[2]

While these tumors are rarely malignant or metastatic (that is, they rarely spread to other parts of the body), and progress slowly, the resulting lesions can cause severe abnormalities of the face and jaw. Additionally, because abnormal cell growth easily infiltrates and destroys surrounding bony tissues, wide surgical excision is required to treat this disorder. If an aggressive tumor is left untreated, it can obstruct the nasal and oral airways making it impossible to breathe without oropharyngeal intervention.

Here is a recent case report in horses:

Vet Surg. 2014 Feb;43(2):222-6.
Extensive rostral mandibulectomy for treatment of ameloblastoma in a horse.

Mendez-Angulo JL1, Tatarniuk DM, Ruiz I, Ernst N.
OBJECTIVE:
To report long-term outcome in a mare that had extensive rostral mandibulectomy to remove an ameloblastoma.

A 21-year-old mare.
METHODS:
An ameloblastoma, located in the rostral aspect of the mandible, was removed by complete en-bloc resection of the tumor, removing most of the mandibular symphysis.

RESULTS:
The day after surgery, the remaining mandibular symphysis (<5 mm) fractured causing marked instability of the hemi-mandibles. Partial wound dehiscence occurred 5 days after surgery; however, the mare was able to eat well and the incision healed within 2 weeks. At 18 months, there was bony fusion of the hemi-mandibles and mild protrusion of the tongue.

CONCLUSION:
Extensive rostral mandibulectomy (up to the caudal edge of the mandibular symphysis) can apparently be performed in a horse without internal or external stabilization, and yield a cosmetic and functional outcome.

Hope this helps,
DrO
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