Asymptomatic ectopic third molar in an elderly patient: Case report and its comprehensive literature review

Abstract

Ectopic third molar (ETM) in the ramus is an extremely rare entity with diverse clinical features. The true incidence and the exact etiology of this condition are still not clearly understood. Most of these cases are diagnosed after the clinical signs and symptoms arise and few are incidentally detected during routine radiographic examination. A few cases remain asymptomatic throughout life. Panoramic radiographs aid in diagnosis and symptomatic cases require surgical removal while asymptomatic cases must be follow-up with a panoramic radiograph to monitor the migration or occurrence of pathology. On literature search, we found only 14 cases of ETM in the ramus region. Here, we report a case of ETM in ascending ramus in a 63-year-old female patient who has remained asymptomatic for 5 years, from the time it has been diagnosed. In addition, we present a review of its clinical and radiological characteristics from the literature.