Keratocystic odontogenic tumor: a retrospective study of 183 cases.

In 2005, the WHO Working Group considered odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) to be a tumor and recommended the term keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT), separating the lesion from the orthokeratinizing variant, which is now considered an odontogenic cyst. We analyzed the clinicopathological features of KCOTs encountered over a period of 28 years at Meikai University Hospital. The diagnosis was confirmed by reevaluation of hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides on the basis of the 2005 WHO Classification.

Presence of ghost cells and the Wnt signaling pathway in odontomas.

Background: Although it has been reported that ghost cells are present in odontomas, the generation mechanism of these cells is unclear. To evaluate the presence of ghost cells and involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway, we examined the expression of hard keratins, beta-catenin and Lef-1 in odontomas.

Methods: Sixty-nine cases of odontoma were examined immunohistochemically with the use of antibodies against human hair proteins, beta-catenin and Lef-1.