Clinical and histopathological study of the odontogenic keratocyst--a follow-up study of 16 cases.

Abstract

Sixteen cases of odontogenic keratocysts (OKC) were studied within the documented files, of 213 odontogenic cysts from the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical College. The overall incidence of OKC was 7.5% of odontogenic cysts examined. Those 16 cases, according to the clinical impressions, included primordial cysts (7 cases), dentigerous cysts (6 cases) and apicoperiodontal (radicular) cysts (3 cases). The ages of patients ranged from 14 to 44 years. The peak age incidence was between third and fourth decades (87.5%). There were no apparent sex predilection, 7 males and 9 females. According to the site of lesion, 13 (81.25%) cases were at the mandible and 3 were at the maxilla. Ten out of 13 cases of the mandibular cyst were at the molar region and/or the ramus. Roentgenographs showed 7 cases with unilocular and 9 cases with multilocular radiolucencies. There were 6 cases with unerupted teeth, but with no phenomenon of root resorption. Histopathological examination revealed the lining epithelium was atrophic on 10 cases, atrophic plus elongated rete pegs on 5 cases, and elongated rete pegs on one case. Complete parakeratosis in 12 cases, orthokeratosis in 2 cases and both parakeratosis and orthokeratosis was the treatment of choice for all cases. Recurrence was found in 3 cases with a recurrent rate of 18.75%.