Idiopathic bone cavity on the posterior buccal surface of the mandible

Abstract A cavity on the posterior buccal surface of four dry mandibles ( n = 8282) is reported. The shape, size, unilaterality, and sex distribution of this phenomenon are similar to anterior and posterior idiopathic bone cavities (i.e., defects) on the lingual cortex. Posterior buccal mandibular defects differ from posterior lingual cavities in their unilateral occurrence and age distribution. The differential diagnosis for posterior buccal mandibular defects includes an anatomic variant, an aneurysmal erosion, erosion by a lymphoid nodule, and a neural neoplasm.