Compound Odontoma Anterior Maxilla — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyOral PathologyCompound Odontoma Anterior MaxillaORE Part 1

A 25-year-old man presents with painless swelling in the anterior maxilla. An orthopantomogram shows a well-defined lesion containing multiple small tooth-like radiopacities (denticles), adjacent to an unerupted upper canine. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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Correct answer: E — Compound odontoma

The correct answer is E, compound odontoma. The decisive feature is the presence of multiple discrete tooth-like structures, termed denticles. In a compound odontoma, enamel, dentine, cementum and pulp are organised into miniature teeth; it commonly occurs in the anterior maxilla and may obstruct eruption of an adjacent permanent tooth. A complex odontoma instead appears as a single irregular radiopaque mass with no recognisable tooth form. A dentigerous cyst is principally radiolucent around the crown of an unerupted tooth and does not contain denticles. An adenomatoid odontogenic tumour may be associated with an unerupted maxillary canine and fine calcifications, but does not produce multiple miniature tooth-like structures. Ameloblastoma has a different typical site and radiographic appearance.

Reference: Pacifici A, Carbone D, Marini R, Pacifici L. Surgical Management of Compound Odontoma Associated with Unerupted Tooth. Case Reports in Dentistry. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26199762/