Malformations vs. Neoplasia in the Oral Cavity: Special Emphasis on Mixed Odontogenic Tumors

Merva Soluk-Tekkesin; Ronell Bologna-Molina; Kelly Magliocca; Willie van Heerden; Liam Robinson; Elizabeth Ann Bilodeau; Haizal Mohd Hussaini; Akinyele Olumuyiwa Adisa; Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Tilakaratne; Jiang Li; Keith David Hunter; Ricardo Santiago Gomez

doi:10.1111/jop.13592

Malformations vs. Neoplasia in the Oral Cavity: Special Emphasis on Mixed Odontogenic Tumors

J Oral Pathol Med. 2025 Jan;54(1):76-79. doi: 10.1111/jop.13592. Epub 2024 Dec 1.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye.
² Diagnostic in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine Department, School of Dentistry, Universidad de la Republica (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay.
³ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁵ Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, UDHS Oral Pathology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁶ School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
⁷ Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁹ Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
¹⁰ Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
¹¹ Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
¹² Faculty of Medical Science of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

PMID: 39617625
DOI: 10.1111/jop.13592

Abstract

Background: The terminology surrounding developmental lesions in the oral cavity is widely applied, often leading to confusion in differentiating between developmental malformations and neoplasia. Odontogenic tumor classification includes both true neoplasms and malformations which make it very complex and dynamic.

Method and conclusion: In this brief report, we will first discuss the concepts of malformations and neoplasia and then focusing on their relevance to odontogenic tumors, which impacts their classification and treatment, particularly mixed odontogenic lesions.

Keywords: ameloblastic fibroodontoma; hamartoma; neoplasia; odontogenic tumours; odontoma.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Mouth Neoplasms* / classification
Mouth Neoplasms* / pathology
Mouth* / pathology
Odontogenic Tumors* / classification
Odontogenic Tumors* / pathology
Terminology as Topic