Cystic Lesions of the Jaws in Children: A 15 Year Experience:

Objectives:Review the clinical presentation, incidence, radiologic features, management, and outcomes of jaw cysts in children treated at a single tertiary care academic institution. Discuss the appropriate work-up and expected outcomes of children presenting with signs or symptoms suggestive of a jaw cyst.Methods:Retrospective case series of pediatric patients age 16 and under who presented with a cystic lesion of the jaw to a tertiary care academic medical center from 1997 to 2012. Charts were reviewed for presenting symptoms, signs, radiological findings, pathology, intervention, and outcomes.Results:The charts of 76 pediatric patients evaluated for a jaw mass were reviewed. Twenty-nine were diagnosed with a cystic jaw lesion. The most common cystic lesions were dentigerous cysts (45%) and odontogenic keratocysts (34%). Forty-one percent of all cystic lesions were asymptomatic at presentation. The most common presenting complaint was local swelling, followed by incidental findings on panorex and dental...