Ameloblastoma Histology — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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HardOral PathologyAmeloblastoma HistologyMFDS Part 1

Histological examination of a conventional intraosseous ameloblastoma shows numerous discrete islands of odontogenic epithelium within a fibrous stroma. Each island has peripheral palisaded columnar cells displaying reverse nuclear polarity and a central zone of loosely arranged stellate-reticulum-like cells. Which histological pattern is present?

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Correct answer: E — Follicular

The correct answer is **A, follicular**. This pattern consists of discrete islands or follicles of odontogenic epithelium. The peripheral cells are palisaded and ameloblast-like, characteristically showing reverse nuclear polarity, while the central cells resemble stellate reticulum. It is also the most frequently reported histological pattern of conventional ameloblastoma. In the plexiform pattern, tumour epithelium forms interconnecting cords or sheets rather than separate follicles. Acanthomatous change denotes prominent central squamous metaplasia, sometimes with keratinisation. The granular-cell pattern contains central cells with abundant coarse eosinophilic granular cytoplasm. Desmoplastic ameloblastoma has small, compressed epithelial islands within densely collagenised stroma and may lack the classic follicular architecture.

Reference: Goh YH et al. Analysis of demographic differences according to histomorphological subtypes of 1312 cases of ameloblastoma. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40883238/