A ONE YEAR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY ON RADIOLUCENT LESIONS IN PATIENTS REFERRED TO RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF MASHHAD DENTAL SCHOOL

Introduction: Radiolucent lesions are common bony lesions and can be seen in the forms of periapical, pericoronal, interradicular and lesions not necessarily related to teeth. The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiology of radiolucent lesions in patients who were referred to radiology department of Mashhad Dental School. Materials & Methods: In this prevalence descriptive study, panoramic radiographs of 256 patients referred to the radiology department were evaluated for one year and the frequency of their lesions were determined according to age, sex, number of lesions, site of occurrence, shape, border and effects on surrounding structures. The data were statistically analyzed using chi-squar test. Results: From 51 radiolucent lesions, the periapical granuloma was the most common lesion (45.1%) followed by periodontal disease (19.6%), radicular cyst (13.7%) dentigerous cyst (3.9%), cherubism, traumatic bone cyst, squamous cell carcinoma and central giant cell granuloma (2%). These lesions occured predominantly at the second decade of life and most frequently in men. Conclusion: Three common radiolucent lesions were periapical granuloma, periodontal disease and radicular cyst. Periapical granuloma occurs predominantly in mandible while periodontal disease and radicular cyst occur in maxilla more frequently. Key words: Radiolucent lesions, panoramic radiography, jaw bone