Critical insights into metastatic patterns of odontogenic tumors, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes: a scoping review of case reports

This scoping review investigated the demographic data, histological and diagnosis methods, occurrence of recurrence, treatment strategies, and survival status of metastatic lesions arising from odontogenic tumors. A search strategy was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, spanning the years from 1965 to 2026. Eligibility criteria included case report publications with available full text written in English. Sixty-eight studies were included, amounting to 74 cases. The most common metastatic odontogenic tumor identified was metastasizing ameloblastoma. Patients diagnosed with the primary tumor were aged between 8 and 72 years for males and between 7 and 59 years for females. Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma was the second most prevalent tumor associated with metastasis. The mandible was the most frequent primary location. Metastases mainly affected lungs, followed by cervical lymph nodes. This research offers valuable insights that may assist clinicians, surgeons, and oral pathologists in diagnosing and managing these lesions. Due to the significant recurrence rate linked with tumors, insufficient treatment leads to numerous recurrences; thus, wide resection is regarded as the preferred method of treatment. Early diagnosis and frequent monitoring for recurrence and metastasis are essential. Concurrently, case report studies and existing literature can offer more valuable diagnostic and treatment approaches. However, the results of this review should be interpreted carefully.