Prevalence of odontogenic tumours in a dental hospital in Southern India

Abstract

Odontogenic Tumours (OTs) pose as a heterogenous group of lesions exhibiting diverse clinical behaviour and histopathological types which can range from hamartomatous lesions to malignancies. Although a large number of studies have been done to record the epidemiology of odontogenic tumours, there is a paucity of information where its prevalence is concerned in South Indian cities. Thus, the aim of our study is to highlight the prevalence of various types of odontogenic tumours in a predominantly South Indian hospital set up so as to improve clinical understanding and handling of patients with said tumours. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted after reviewing and analysing the data from patient records over the last five years. Patients with histopathologically established odontogenic tumours were selected without any age restriction. The data was collected and descriptive statistics were performed. The findings of our study hinted at a benign odontogenic prevalence with a male predilection (68.6%). The posterior region of the mandible was the most commonly involved site (60%) and ameloblastomas followed by odontomas and adenomatoid odontogenic tumours were the most prevalent odontogenic tumours in our hospital set up. An asymptomatic trend with multilocular radiolucencies was evidently observed. Through the results of our study, we hope to elucidate the prevalence of odontogenic tumours in the South Indian population. In essence our findings suggest a male predilection in the posterior region of the mandible and that Ameloblastomas and Odontomas are the most common odontogenic tumours. Due to the large number of asymptomatic presentations, proper diagnosis and management is key. Thus, further studies need to be done to overcome the limitations of our study and to confirm our findings.