Idiopathic osteosclerosis of the jaws : Panoramic radiographic and computed tomographic findings

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and anatomic location of idiopathic osteosclerosis in the jawbones and to present computed tomographic findings of this lesion in Japanese patients. Study design. Panoramic radiographs of 1047 patients were examined for the presence of idiopathic osteosclerosis in the jawbones. Computed tomography was performed in 11 patients of this series. Results. A total of 64 patients (6.1%) showed this radiopacity. The highest occurrence was in the mandibular first molar region. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis between males and females. On computed tomography images, these radiopaque areas were divisible into two types: enostosis (five cases) and central sclerosis (six cases). Conclusion. This is the first report of computed tomographic findings on idiopathic osteosclerosis in the jawbones, although the results on panoramic radiographs are similar to other investigators.