Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor

The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor, also known as a Pindborg tumor or CEOT, is an odontogenic tumor. It is more common in the posterior mandible of adults, typically in the 4th to 5th decades. There may be a painless swelling, and it is often concurrent with an impacted tooth. On radiographs, it appears as a radiolucency (dark area) and is known for sometimes having small radiopacities (white areas) within it. In those instances, it is described as having a "driven-snow" appearance. Microscopically, there are deposits of amyloid-like material. Clinically it has two types, the central and the peripheral. The central type of the CEOT occurs in individuals ranging in age from 20-60 years.2/3rd of the lesions are in jaws, more commonly in the molar area with a tendency to occur in the pre molar areas. It appears clinically to be a slowly enlarging painless mass. In the maxilla it can cause Proptosis, epistaxis and nasal air way obstruction. The peripheral type is commonly found in the anterior region of the maxilla and occurs as a soft tissue swelling. Histopathology will reveal prominent intercellular bridges and nuclear changes such as pleomorphism, hyperchromatism and prominent nucleoli. The mitotic figures are rare. Spread throughout the epithelium and connective tissue are spherical amorhpous calcifications. When clear cells are present with clear cytoplasms, then this variant is referred to as "Clear Cell Variant".

References

• Zahid, Arsalan from Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• Kahn, Michael A. Basic Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Volume 1. 2001.