Ameloblastoma : Prognosis

Comments:
Ameloblastoma is locally aggressive tumor that pursues a benign clinical course in most cases. If the tumor is removed by curettage, the recurrence rate is unacceptably high approaching 45-90%. With en-bloc resection with negative margins, about 15% of cases recur.

In rare cases, multiple recurrences may be followed by distant metastases to lungs or central nervous system. The metastatic deposits must retain the typical morphology of ameloblastoma and such cases may be referred to as malignant ameloblastoma according to the WHO.