Peripheral osteoma of the maxilla: report of an unusual case.

Peripheral osteomas of the maxilla are relatively rare. A case of a solitary peripheral osteoma of the anterior right maxilla in a 16-year-old girl is presented. The tumor was asymptomatic and was removed via an intraoral approach without any complications. Both hamartomatous and neoplastic factors have been advocated concerning the pathogenesis of such lesions, but no definite conclusion has been reported. Certain features of the case, such as obstruction of the eruption of the permanent canine, displacement of an adjacent tooth, intraoperatively noted infiltration of the interdental bone, and clearly abnormal histological bone structure might support the neoplastic nature of this lesion.