Central Odontogenic Fibroma Associated with Eruption Disturbance of a Permanent Incisor in a Six-Year-Old Girl

Dentists occasionally encounter unilocular radiolucent lesions that may be associated with a wide spectrum of conditions in the jaw. Central odontogenic fibroma (COF) is a rare fibroblastic neoplasm of the jaw, which presents as a wellcircumscribed unilocular radiolucent lesion often associated with an impacted tooth. Histologically, COF is composed of collagenous fibrous connective tissue containing varying amounts of inactive odontogenic epithelium. Based on the clinical, radiological and histological characteristics, COF is not easily differentiated from an enlarged dental follicle, or a fibromatous or cystic lesion of jaw. We describe a case of a 6-year-old girl with a unilocular radiolucent lesion around the crown of the impacted right permanent central incisor in the maxilla. In addition to clinical and radiological examination, an incisional biopsy was performed to make a diagnosis of COF and to determine the best treatment, which included a surgical procedure and postoperative occlusal guidance. The patient was followed up for 8 years and developed a satisfactory anterior occlusion with no signs of recurrence of the COF. Differential diagnosis and surgical procedures for COF associated with tooth eruption in a young child are discussed.