ameloblastoma
- noun
- /ˌæməloʊblæˈstoʊmə/
- Specialized
- The dentist explained that an ameloblastoma is a rare type of tumor that usually forms in the jawbone.
- follicular ameloblastoma
- odontogenic ameloblastoma
- giant ameloblastoma
Examples
-
An ameloblastoma is an odontogenic tumor of epithelial origin that can be locally aggressive.
Academic text (1999) -
Ameloblastoma occurs primarily in patients between 30 and 50 years of age.
Academic text (2003) -
Five previous cases of ameloblastoma with secondary hypoproteinemia have been reported.
Academic text (1999) -
We report the case of a 53-year-old woman who had a massive ameloblastoma of the mandible.
Academic text (1999) -
Histology revealed that the ameloblastoma was of the plexiform type.
Academic text (1999) -
According to statistical reports of jaw tumors, ameloblastoma is relatively rare, as the incidence is only 1%.
Academic text (2003) -
The mainstay of therapy for giant ameloblastoma is surgical resection.
Academic text (1999) -
Ameloblastoma is usually a benign, locally infiltrative tumor, although it can undergo malignant transformation and metastasize.
Academic text (2003) -
An ameloblastoma may cause swelling in the jaw as it grows larger.
-
She was diagnosed with an ameloblastoma, which required careful monitoring and surgical treatment.
Surface Forms
Morphology
ameloblastoma = ameloblast (opaque) = ameloblast + oma
The formation 'ameloblast' + '-oma' follows a regular medical suffixation pattern meaning 'tumor of X', but both the base and the suffix are technical and not familiar to general learners.
Etymology
The word ameloblastoma comes from three parts: amel- meaning 'enamel', blast- meaning 'young cell', and -oma meaning 'tumor', as in melanoma. So an ameloblastoma is a tumor made from the young cells that make tooth enamel, which explains why it appears in the jaw or gum.
