Marsupialization of a maxillary cyst – case report.

Abstract

Cysts of the upper and lower jaw are a usual radiographic finding, sometimes detected by chance, that affect the dentition and the adjacent anatomical structures. There have been described various approaches for their management, but two of them are nowadays applied, namely marsupialization and enucleation. The aim of this study is to assess marsupialization as a usual treatment for cystic lesions and highlight the usefulness of oral radiology in their diagnosis and treatment. A clinical case of maxillary cyst is presented. The patient visited the School of Dentistry and, after the clinical examination and radiographic images (OPG and CBCT), a wide cyst was diagnosed in the anterior left region of the upper jaw. The cyst had penetrated the buccal and palatal alveolar bone, as well as the osseous floor of the left nasal cavity. The surgeons suggested marsupialization as the best surgical choice. So, after patient's consent, teeth #23 and #24 were extracted and the cyst's epithelium was excised through their post-extraction alveoli. The formation of osseous bridge was monitored with regular CBCT imaging. This clinical case is being presented to highlight the value of marsupialization in managing large cysts.