Peripheral dentinogenic ghost cell tumor of the gingiva

BACKGROUND: A dentinogenic ghost cell tumor is a locally invasive neoplasm that is characterized by ameloblastoma-like islands of epithelial cells in a mature connective tissue stroma. METHODS: A 43-year-old male patient presented a well-circumscribed sessile, exophytic mass of the gingiva with a diameter of 2 cm located in the canine area of the right maxilla. The lesion was enucleated. RESULTS: The lesion showed odontogenic epithelium, ghost cells, dentinoid material, and giant cells. The final microscopic diagnosis was a dentinogenic ghost cell tumor. CONCLUSIONS: A dentinogenic ghost cell tumor is an extremely rare tumor, and only a few cases have been reported in the English literature. The peripheral, extraosseous lesion can be easily confused with other gingival lesions such as reactive or inflammatory lesions or other peripheral odontogenic tumors. The clinical appearance of all of these lesions is similar; therefore, the definitive diagnosis depends on histology, and a biopsy with a microscopic examination is mandatory.