Alpha Smooth Muscle Actin Expression in a Case of Ameloblastic Carcinoma: a Case Report

BACKGROUND The aim of the present article is to report a case of ameloblastic carcinoma and use a marker alpha smooth muscle actin as a tool to differentiate cases of ameloblastic carcinoma from that of ameloblastoma. METHODS Case study reporting a case of ameloblastic carcinoma (AC) with expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) as a marker for emergence of stromal myofibroblasts. The expression of myofibroblasts was also compared with that of ameloblastoma. RESULTS Difference between the two lesions in the pattern of expression of alpha smooth muscle actin was also observed. There was increase in the number of myofibroblasts in the stroma of AC while in ameloblastoma, it was comparatively less. Secondly, few areas of the carcinomatous ameloblastic island also exhibited a mild positivity towards alpha smooth muscle actin. CONCLUSIONS Increase in number of stromal myofibroblast may be taken as a predictor for carcinomatous transformation. Further studies with greater sample size can validate the use of alpha-SMA as a marker to differentiate ameloblastic carcinoma from ameloblastoma.