Case 13
History:
26-year-old male presenting with painless and progressive left-sided jaw swelling
Findings:
CT of the mandible shows well-circumscribed, radiolucent, expansile cyst surrounding crown of unerupted, embedded or impacted tooth
Diagnosis:
Discussion:
Dentigerous cysts are cysts that forms around the crown of an unerupted tooth. They are the second most common odontogenic cyst after periapical (radicular) cysts. The mandibular third molar and maxillary canine are most frequently involved. Most cysts are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. On imaging they appear as a unilocular radiolucent lesion with often well-defined sclerotic margins is associated with the crown of an unerupted tooth.
References:
- Benn A, Altini M. Dentigerous cysts of inflammatory origin. A clinicopathologic study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1996 Feb;81(2):203-9.
