+ General Considerations

  • Odontogenic tumors arise from dental lamina and may arise from either dental epithelium or nests of epithelial cells
  • Odontogenic tumors account for 2.4% of feline oral tumors with all cats < 18 months
  • Odontogenic tumors are benign and do not metastasize
  • Classification of epithelial odontogenic tumors: inductive and non-inductive
  • Classification is based on ability of tumor to induce a stromal reaction in adjacent connective tissue

Inductive Epithelial Odontogenic Tumors

+ General Considerations

Types:

  • Ameloblastic fibroma
  • Dentinoma
  • Ameloblastic complex
  • Compound odontoma

+ Inductive Fibroameloblastoma

  • Rare
  • Signalment: young (6-18 months) and male
  • Location: rostral to and including canine tooth of either the mandible or maxilla (common)
  • Benign but causes variable degree of bone destruction, production, and expansion
  • Teeth deformity is common
  • Treatment: mandibulectomy or maxillectomy, surgical debulking, cryosurgery, or radiation therapy
  • Good control rates with aggressive therapy
  • Adjunctive radiation therapy has been used with good results in 3 cats with incompletely excised tumors
  • Metastasis has not reported

+ Odontoma

  • Rare and benign tumors arising from dental follicle during the early stages of tooth development
  • Diagnosed when there is evidence of induction of both enamel and dentin
  • Intraosseous and locally invasive but does not metastasize
  • Treatment: surgical debulking and cryosurgery or wide surgical excision

Non-Inductive Epithelial Odontogenic Tumors

+ General Considerations

Types:

  • Ameloblastoma
  • Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor

+ Ameloblastoma

  • Often confused with acanthomatous epulis due to similar histologic characteristics
  • Intraosseous and locally invasive but does not metastasize
  • Treatment: mandibulectomy or maxillectomy, surgical debulking, cryosurgery, or radiation therapy
  • 2-year mean survival time following radiation therapy in dogs

Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Tumor

+ General Considerations

  • Benign and rare tumor of the tooth-forming apparatus
  • Produce a mineralized substance and amyloid
  • Biologic behavior: slow invasion of adjacent tissue resulting in osteolysis or deformation of mandible or maxilla
  • Treatment: mandibulectomy or maxillectomy

ORAL ODONTOGENIC TUMORS