Maxillary cementoblastoma (true cementoma) and secondary aspergillosis in a horse

Abstract

Cementoblastoma is a rare, benign, expansive and slow-growing, mesenchymal odontogenic tumor. An eight year-old, Purebred Spanish Horse stallion with clinical history of chronic, refractory to treatment unilateral rhinitis and radiologic evidence of a radiopaque mass at the second premolar tooth root underwent intraoral surgery for tooth and mass extraction. The owner did not want to bear the cost of the histopathologic study and the samples were left unattended in a sterile recipient without a fixative solution for six years. Grossly the mass showed a hard consistence, greyish-whitish color and an irregular surface. Histologically, the mass consisted of an abundant deposit of eosinophilic cementum-like organic matrix with frequent basophilic reversal lines and heterogeneous distribution of empty lacunae. Surrounded by this organic matrix there were numerous fungal hyphae positive for Aspergillus fumigatus immunostaining. The final diagnosis was maxillary cementoblastoma with secondary aspergillosis. High-quality information has been obtained from long-time non-fixed tissues.

Clinical, Diagnostic and Histological Findings Involving Cheek Teeth Hypercementosis in Nine Horses

“…Cementoma is commonly diagnosed in veterinary species, particularly those with hypsodont dentition such as horses. [21][22][23][24][25][26] Cementoma lesions are comprised of aggregates of cemental matrix and interspersed cementocytes that are non-neoplastic (though there is conflicting literature in this regard). In the authors" opinion, cementoma should be considered synonymous with "nodular hypercementosis," which is one of the morphologic types of reactive hypercementosis (along with "peripheral hypercementosis") presented in this work.…”

“…Although there are multiple reports of cementomas being described as benign odontogenic tumors in the horse, the reported histologic findings are similar to the cases reported here. 21,22,24,25 The referenced cases describe irregular cementum either attached to the apical region or found within the tooth-bearing region, often associated with other lesions and without associated cementoblast proliferation. Both incisors and maxillary cheek teeth have been described as affected in the referenced case reports of cementoma.…”