Odontogenic cysts. A clinicopathological study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative frequency of OC, and compare it with previous studies.

METHODS: A retrospective review of histopathology archives in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the period 1984-2010 was carried out from September 2010 to February 2011. Diagnosis was confirmed according to the World Health Organization histological classification for odontogenic tumors published in 2005. The relevant clinicopathological data were analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 470 cases satisfied the diagnostic criteria as OC. They represented approximately 11% of all pathologic specimens accessioned. Apical radicular cyst (64.3%) was the most frequent OC, followed by dentigerous cyst (25.1%). The overall male to female ratio was 1.40:1. The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 30 years. It peaked at the second to third decade. The mandible was involved in 48.5%, and the maxilla in 43.6% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OC is similar to those reported in other studies, in which most OC were inflammatory in origin. They peaked at the second to third decade with the posterior mandible and anterior maxilla being the most frequent sites affected. Studies from different regions of KSA are needed to further understand these lesions.