Massive expansile ossifying fibroma of the mandible with osteomyelitis

An ossifying fibroma is a benign odontogenic tumor of mesenchymal origin that belongs to the spectrum of fibro-osseous lesions afflicting the craniofacial complex. Although benign, it can be potentially aggressive, reaching very large sizes. The authors report a rare case of an aggressive ossifying fibroma in the mandible of a 30-year-old male patient that reached gigantic proportions with superimposed osteomyelitis, mimicking a malignancy. Differentiation of ossifying fibroma from other fibro-osseous lesions and benign and malignant neoplasms is important for the correct management of this lesion. Proper radiological evaluation and interpretation aids for arriving at a definitive diagnosis are required. The paper also highlights the radiological features of this entity.