Radiologic features of central odontogenic fibroma

Abstract

The central odontogenic fibroma is a rare benign neoplasm that is considered to be derived from mesenchymal dental tissue. This study reviews and analyzes the radiologic features of 51 cases (5 new cases and 46 from the literature). Central odontogenic fibroma appears in both the mandible and maxilla (55% and 45%, respectively). In the maxilla it has a tendency to involve the anterior area, whereas in the mandible the molar and premolar areas are the most prevalent sites. The majority of central odontogenic fibromas are unilocular radiolucent lesions with well-defined borders, but they may also appear as multilocular lesions and in rare instances may exhibit a mixed radiolucent/radiopaque appearance with poorly defined or diffused borders. The great variability in radiologic appearance of the central odontogenic fibroma means that it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all radiolucencies found in the jaws.