Odontogenic Tumors in Sri Lanka: Analysis of 226 Cases

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to analyze the relative prevalence of odontogenic tumors in Sri Lanka and compare it with prevalences reported for other countries.Patients and MethodsA total of 226 cases of odontogenic tumors reported by the Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya between 1996 and 2002, were analyzed.ResultsThe most prevalent tumor was ameloblastoma (69.8%); odontoma was the fourth most prevalent (4.5%). No gender predilection was seen, but the tumors occurred most frequently in the second to fifth decades of life (77.4%) and most commonly in the mandible (79.6%).ConclusionsThe comparative data with statistically significant differences suggest a geographical difference in the relative prevalence of ameloblastoma among various continents. It is suggested that ameloblastoma most frequently occurs in the mandible (the posterior region) in all Asian, African, and South American countries.