Large dentigerous mandibular cyst treated in two surgical steps. A case report

Abstract

A dentigerous cyst is a benign lesion arising from the odontogenic epithelium associated with the crown of an impacted tooth. They are radiolucent and unilocular, usually asymptomatic and diagnosed in clinical routine or radiographic examinations. The lower third molars and upper canines are the most affected teeth, and the lesion is also associated with odontomas and supernumerary teeth. The cyst is slow-growing but can reach considerable dimensions, causing facial deformity, impaction, and displacement of teeth or adjacent structures. This study aims to report the clinical case of a large mandibular dentigerous cyst treated in two stages: biopsying and decompressing the lesion and enucleating the cyst capsule. It was thus possible to accurately diagnose the lesion, reduce its size to allow for total enucleation with minimal damage to the surrounding anatomical structures, and preserve sensitive function. A five-year follow-up was performed, with full lesion healing.