Dentinogenic ghost cell tumor: A bibliometric review of literature

Dentinogenic ghost cell tumors (DGCTs) are uncommon neoplasms classified as a solid variant of the calcifying odontogenic cyst and defined as a locally invasive neoplasm. It can occur in two forms: Intraosseous (central) and extraosseous (peripheral). The objective of the present article was to present a bibliometric review of the published cases of central and peripheral variants of the DGCTs, with emphasis on their epidemiology, biological behavior, and immunohistochemical profile. The present review includes published cases of DGCTs collected through PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Each of the included cases was analyzed for patient demographics, lesional site, and size, the immunohistochemical profile, nature of progression, recurrence, and followup. Of the 57 included cases, 65% involved Asian population. The average age of the cases was 45.33 years (standard deviation [SD] 21.07; range 7–82 years). About 68% of cases were central DGCTs and 32% represented the peripheral variant. There was a strong male predilection (68%). The average time of progression was 14 months (SD, 21.45 months). The most common location was the mandible (60%). The overall recurrence rate was 33% for the central DGCTs, while there was no recurrence reported in the peripheral variant. The present review provides an update on the epidemiology, morphological, and biomolecular characteristics of the published cases of DGCTs.