An Unusual Delayed Recurrence of Temporal Ameloblastoma: A Case Report

Ameloblastoma is a benign but locally aggressive odontogenic tumor with a recognized tendency for recurrence. Recurrence after more than a decade is exceedingly rare. We report a case of a 46-year-old woman who presented with a firm, non-tender, gradually progressive swelling in the left preauricular region of one-year duration. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed a lymphocytic infiltrate. Computed tomography demonstrated a soft-tissue lesion adjacent to a bony remnant resembling a coronoid process. Histopathology confirmed follicular ameloblastoma. Surgical excision of the lesion with the coronoid process remnant was performed under general anesthesia. The postoperative period was uneventful, and no early recurrence was noted.