TITLE:
The sequential treatment of extensive mandibular ameloblastoma
AUTHORS:
Ruixiu Cheng, Xingmao Fu, Jianhui Ma, Shuliang Li, Jie Yu, Kun Yan, Yang Xue
KEYWORDS:
Ameloblastoma; Mandibular Defect; Fibula Flap; Sequential Treatment
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.2 No.8,
November
14,
2013
ABSTRACT: Ameloblastoma is the most frequent odontogenic tumor of the jaw. If not treated, ameloblastoma can gain an enormous size and cause severe facial disfigurement and functional impairment. Here we report two patients afflicted with extensive mandibular ameloblastoma (sized in 23 cm × 18 cm × 17 cm and 15 cm × 12 cm × 10 cm, respectively). Both the patients received the same sequential treatment including radical tumor resection, simultaneous reconstruction with fibula free flap graft, vertical distraction osteogenesis on the fibula graft, placement of endosseous dental implants, and final pros-thodontic rehabilitation. It took about 15 months to finish the entire course of treatment. And after the four-year follow-up, neither soft tissue related, nor hard tissue related problems were observed. Satisfactory facial symmetry, chewing and speech functions of the patients were restored. So this sequential treatment for extensive mandibular ameloblastoma can obtain an excellent effect by the shortest time and the lowest economical cost. Furthermore, the series also can be used to reconstruct giant mandibular defects caused by different reasons.