Enucleation and repeated dredging treatment for a large ameloblastic fibroma in growing young patient: Report of a case with difficult treatment planning

The purpose of this article is to describe a case of ameloblastic fibroma (AF) with difficult treatment planning. In the present case, a 12-year-old girl with chief complaint of painless swelling on the right mandibular body was referred to our hospital. The biopsy of the lesion confirmed AF. Although it was a solid tumor, the tumor debulking surgery was applied with corresponding open decompression therapy. However, one month after the debulking surgery, the residual lesion had grown rapidly. Then she was treated by enucleation and repeated dredging with a rapid and sufficient bone formation. A conservative approach, including the dredging method appeared to be successful for the avoidance of a radical surgery in the present case.