Diagnosis: Primary intraosseous odontogenic carcinoma (PIOC)
Primary intraosseous odontogenic carcinoma is a rare squamous cell carcinoma that arises within the jaws and develops from remnants of odontogenic epithelium.1 It is 1 of the 4 types of odontogenic carcinomas that arise within the jaws. In 1989, Waldron and Mustoe2 created a widely accepted and frequently cited histologic classification for odontogenic carcinomas.
Most authors reserve the term PIOC for squamous cell carcinomas of odontogenic origin that arise either de novo (type 3) or in association with a preexisting odontogenic cyst (type 1). The histologic features of PIOC are not pathognomonic, and a definitive diagnosis is often difficult; therefore, few cases have been reported in the literature. The diagnostic criteria for PIOC are (1) the absence of an initial connection with the overlying mucosa or skin and (2) exclusion of metastasis from a distant primary tumor by physical and radiographic examination during at . . . [Full Text of this Article]
