Clinicopathological Characteristics of Odontogenic Myxoma in Nigerians

BACKGROUND: Odontogenic myxoma (OM) is a locally aggressive neoplasm whose clinicopathological characteristics have not been extensively reported in Nigerians. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinicopathological characteristics of cases of OM seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. METHODS: A review of both clinical and histopathological records of sixty-three cases of OM diagnosed over a period of thirty-seven years was undertaken. The cases were analyzed for age, sex, site, size, duration and histological contents of collagenization, odontogenic epithelium and calcification. RESULTS: Odontogenic myxoma represented 63(11.2%) cases of odontogenic tumours, was commonest in the second to forth decades and rare below age 10 and above 70 years. It was more common in females. Maxillary lesions were more common with respect to both central and peripheral histologic types, but occurred in equal frequencies in mandible and maxilla with respect to the central histologic type. Forty-seven (74.6%) cases were fibromyxoma and sixteen (25.4%) myxoma. Odontogenic epithelium was rare and observed in 5 (9.5%) cases while calcific material was present in sixteen (25.4%) cases. Late presentation was a common feature and surgical excision was the treatment of choice. CONCLUSION: Odontogenic myxoma is un-common among Nigerians when compared with ameloblastoma. Clinicopathological characteristics in this series are similar to information in the scientific literature.