Histopathological Spectrum of a Calcifying Odontogenic Cyst With Uncommon Findings

TL;DR

This paper presents three cases of a rare jaw cyst, highlighting its varied appearance and the importance of histopathological diagnosis.

Contribution

The study emphasizes the histopathological diversity of calcifying odontogenic cysts and their potential to mimic other jaw lesions.

Findings

Three cases of calcifying odontogenic cysts were confirmed through histopathology.

The cysts showed varied characteristics that could resemble other jaw pathologies.

Diagnostic criteria include age, location, and specific histopathological features.

Abstract

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is an uncommon lesion accounting for less than 1% of all odontogenic cysts. This pathology commonly affects the anterior jaw and is prevalent in the second to third decades of life, with no sex predilection. The lesion presents with a variable clinical and radiographic presentation, which can simulate other common jaw pathologies. Therefore, histopathological confirmation stands to be diagnostic in COC. The fifth edition classification for jaw tumors of the head and neck by the World Health Organization has summarized the essential diagnostic criteria of COC as a jaw cyst occurring in the second to third decades of life with a strong predilection for the anterior mandible and histopathologically characterized by cystic architecture with numerous ghost cells. Here, we present three histopathologically confirmed cases of COC of the mandible, clinically suspected for ameloblastoma, lateral periodontal cyst, and radicular cyst, with emphasis on the characteristics, along with the possible diversity that the lesion can show in its histopathological sections.

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