JADA Article Published: Radiolucent lesion of the anterior maxilla Skip to main content

JADA Article Published: Radiolucent lesion of the anterior maxilla

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We are proud to announce that Dr. Vincent Novelli of Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery was published in May by the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) for his work with a Radiolucent lesion of the anterior maxilla.

The challenge

During a routine dental examination an expansile, radiolucent lesion on the right anterior maxilla was discovered in a 50-year-old woman. The patient reported no pain or discomfort in the area and her medical history failed to offer any clues.

No evidence of swelling, trismus, asymmetry or lymphadenopathy was revealed in the extraoral examination and just a slight fullness of the maxillary right facial gingiva was discovered intraorally.

Radiography and biopsy

Radiographic evidence revealed a multilocular, radiolucent lesion located between and causing displacement of the roots of the maxillary right lateral incisor and canine.

The lesion contained bone residual but no root resorption was seen.

Once referred to an oral surgeon, an incisional biopsy was taken and the following potential diagnoses were presented following the histologic examination:

  • lateral periodontal cyst
  • lateral radicular cyst
  • calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (Pindborg tumor)
  • odontogenic keratocyst
  • ameloblastoma

Read the full text

The final diagnosis was a Pindborg tumor, a rare and generally benign mass that slowly enlarges to cause a painless expansion of the affected area.

You can learn more about the diagnostic approach, prognosis, treatment options and differential diagnosis by reading the full article published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

If you are not a current subscriber with society membership, please get in touch and we can email you a PDF file of the article.

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