Odontogenic tumours: a 25-year epidemiological study in the Marche region of Italy

Purpose: Epidemiological data of odontogenic tumours (OT) are conflicting, with significant differences among the countries. This study aims to evaluate incidence and prevalence of OTs in the Marche population in a period of 25 years, according to 4th Edition of WHO Classification. Methods: In this study, only patients of Marche region treated for OTs were considered. Data were retrieved from Institute of Pathology, Marche Polytechnic University, Italy. Because this is the only tertiary referral centre for Head and Neck pathology within Marche region, the patient sample could be considered well representative of this area. From each case, age, sex, site, diagnosis and relapses were recorded. Results: Overall, 100 patients were treated for OTs from 1994 to 2018 in Marche region. The annual incidence rate ranged from 0.13 to 0.39 per 100,000, while life prevalence was 6.50 per 100,000. Mean age of onset for primary OTs was 49.7 ± 20.1 years. Twenty-seven patients developed recurrences, showing a mean age of 54 ± 19.7 years and a mean recurrence time of 51.2 ± 34 months. Conclusion: This is the first epidemiological study on OTs in Italian population according to 4th Edition of WHO Classification. Although limited in their retrospective nature, these findings could accurately estimate epidemiology of OTs in Italy.