Long term self-resolution of a mandibular traumatic bone cyst: A patient report

Abstract

A traumatic bone cyst (TBC) is an uncommon asymptomatic benign lesion usually diagnosed on radiographic examination as a unilocular radiolucency in the posterior mandibular region. It is classified as a pseudocyst because of absent epithelial lining. The etiology remains unclear but is often a localized aberration in normal bone remodeling or metabolism associated with trauma. We report a TBC in a boy that appeared in the first year of orthodontic treatment below the mandibular right second molar and self-healed nearly 4 years later. The patient had no history of trauma. Surgery was discarded because of difficult access and risk of nerve damage; also, the mandibular body continuity was not jeopardized. Clinical examination and periodic radiographic and CBCT imaging were performed during orthodontic treatment (25 months) and the following retention (26 months). The findings suggest a course of observation of a slow developing TBC that does not compromise mandibular anatomic integrity.