Odontogenic and Developmental Oral Lesions in Pediatric Patients

Head and Neck Pathology volume 15, pages71–84(2021)Cite this article

Abstract

This article reviews odontogenic and developmental oral lesions encountered in the gnathic region of pediatric patients. The process of odontogenesis is discussed as it is essential to understanding the pathogenesis of odontogenic tumors. The clinical presentation, microscopic features, and prognosis are addressed for odontogenic lesions in the neonate (dental lamina cysts/gingival cysts of the newborn, congenital (granular cell) epulis of the newborn, melanotic neuroectodermal tumor, choristoma/heterotopia, cysts of foregut origin), lesions associated with unerupted/erupting teeth (hyperplastic dental follicle, eruption cyst, dentigerous cyst, odontogenic keratocyst/keratocystic odonogenic tumor, buccal bifurcation cyst/inflammatory collateral cyst) and pediatric odontogenic hamartomas and tumors (odontoma, ameloblastic fibroma, ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, primordial odontogenic tumor). Pediatric odontogenic and developmental oral lesions range from common to rare, but familiarity with these entities is essential due to the varying management implications of these diagnoses.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the following for their gracious contributions and permission to use clinical/microscopic images. Dr. John Wright, Figs. 3a, b and Dr. Bobby Collins, Fig. 4b.

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  1. School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, G-135 Salk Hall, 3501 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Elizabeth A Bilodeau

  2. Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Keith D Hunter

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EB and KH undertook the initial plan, literature review and wrote the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Bilodeau, E.A., Hunter, K.D. Odontogenic and Developmental Oral Lesions in Pediatric Patients. Head and Neck Pathol 15, 71–84 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-020-01284-3

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Keywords

  • Odontogenic tumor
  • Odontogenesis
  • Pediatric
  • Neural crest
  • Hamartoma
  • Ameloblastic fibroma
  • Primordial odontogenic tumor
  • Gnathic
  • Odontoma
  • Odontogenic cyst