Giant ameloblastoma of the mandible; A case report.

Ameloblastoma is a tumor believed to originate from odontogenic tissues and is generally considered to be benign. However, it often recurs postoperatively and in a few case malignant changes have been reported.Recently we treated a 75-year-old female with an ameloblastoma spreading from the center of the mandible to the left zygomatic bone. She had first noticed the tumor more than 10 years earlier. The only symptom was asymmetry of the face.The tumor was removed along with the left half of the mandible. Although reconstruction was not performed, her postoperative course was uneventful without dysfunction of mastication or speech.