Globular radiopacity around the apex of an impacted maxillary third molar

Dilated odontoma: A report of two cases from a radiological perspective

Dilated odontoma is the most extreme form of dens invaginatus. The lesion appears as a roughly spherical mass that does not resemble a tooth but in a way appears tooth - like on radiographs due to somewhat similar radiodensity. The lesion is mostly spherical in appearance and hence the term “dilated.” Occasionally, we come across cases of simultaneous pathologies. Here, we report two cases of a dilated odontoma one of which is associated with dentigerous cyst and in other case dilated odontoma pushing the maxillary sinus superiorly. Histologically, the mass was composed of dentinal tubules. These morphological and histological features are compatible with those of a dilated odontoma.

Irregular periapical radiopacity in mandibular premolars and molars

Increased deposition of cementum is observed in a wide number of both benign and malignant conditions. Many cases are often diagnosed during routine examination as an incidental finding. Diagnosing correctly without confusing it with other similarly appearing lesions, thus avoiding subjecting the patient to unnecessary investigations and stress, is of prime importance. We report one such case, where the patient presented with the routine complaint of a painful tooth, during the investigation of which he was also diagnosed with hypercementosis affecting the mandibular second premolars and molars bilaterally. The literature review reveals that not many cases of hypercementosis are frequently reported.

Residual cyst associated with calcifications in an elderly patient

A residual cyst, as the name implies, is a radicular, lateral periodotal, dentigerous or any other cyst that has persisted after it's associated tooth has been lost. Residual cysts show more predilection in males and they commonly affect the maxillary region. Usually, residual cysts are asymptomatic and calcifications occurring in the residual cysts are quite rare. We are reporting a case of symptomatic residual cyst, associated with calcifications involving the anterior region of the body of the mandible in a 60-year-old male patient. The pathogenesis, clinical, radiological features and differential diagnosis have been discussed.

A dilated odontoma in the second molar region of the mandible

A case of dilated odontoma in the second molar region of the mandible was reported. The patient was a 14-year-old female. Panoramic X-ray and CT examination revealed an oval ring-shaped radiopaque lesion accompanying a radiolucent area in the center at the left second molar region of the mandible. The left second molar and all third molars were not found. The lesion was diagnosed as odontoma and extirpated under general anesthesia. The lesion was a spherical mass of 12x9mm. Histologically, the mass was composed of dentin arranged in an oval ring shape with dentinal tubules. Inside the dentin, immature enamel was present. The central area of the mass was filled with fibrous tissue with a small nest of bone and cementum. Bone tissue was also observed in contact with the immature enamel layer. These morphological and histological features are compatible with those of a dilated odontoma.

Mixed periapical lesion: differential diagnosis of a case

A radicular cyst associated with carious teeth is a very common odontogenic lesion in the oral cavity, but calcifications in residual radicular cysts are quite rare. We report one such case where a routine pre-implant radiographic assessment revealed a mixed periapical radiopaque radiolucent lesion in the right maxillary central incisor region. Histological and radiographic studies show that there is a slow increase in the mineralized deposits within the cyst lumen with time. This becomes prominent histochemically in cysts more than 8 years old and radiographically 6 years later, as seen in our case. In this paper we would like to highlight the importance of a residual radicular cyst with calcifications in the differential diagnosis of a mixed periapical radiopaque radiolucent lesion.

Dilated odontome in the mandibular third molar region

The dilated odontome is the most severe form of the dens invaginatus (dens in dente), which is extremely rare in the mandible, especially in the molar region. A case is reported in a 28-year-old female with an unusual ringlike radiopaque appearance of the mandibular third right molar on panoramic x-ray. CT scan findings were suggestive that the intraosseous circular radiopaque formation was a dilated odontome. The alveotomy of the "tooth" was performed, and histopathological analysis of the inner and surrounding soft tissue revealed a diagnosis consistent with a dilated odontome.

Cross-sectional study of the radiographic appearance of radiopaque lesions of the jawbones in a sample of Greek dental patients

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of radiopacities in the jaws of a Greek population sample.

STUDY DESIGN

Panoramic radiographs of 3,513 patients retrieved from 10 practices in Northern Greece were examined for the presence of radiopacities without the knowledge of the medical histories. Of the initial sample size, 47 radiographs were excluded owing to technical errors. Descriptive characteristics of radiopacities including shape, size, and location, as well as information concerning the tooth involved and the adjacent and opposing teeth, were recorded. All analyses were performed using SPSS software. The Pearson chi-squared test was used to examine the distributions of gender, shape, size, and location.

RESULTS

A total of 72 radiopacities were identified in 69 patients (1.96% of the total sample of panoramic radiographs), showing a greater predilection in the mandibular premolar-molar region (78.3% of radiopacities observed); 44.9% of the radiopacities were associated with intact teeth or teeth with shallow filling/caries, whereas 26.1% were associated with heavily decayed/filled teeth. One-half of the radiopacities identified were circular, and the diameter varied from 1 to 2 cm.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate the rarity of radiopacities (1.96%) in the Greek population sample that was examined and the predilection for their occurrence in the jaws.