Neurilemmoma of the mental nerve

Abstract

from inflammation, allergy, or malignancy. Many of the signs and symptoms mimic an invasive carcinoma of the sinus and this must be stressed in making the proper diagnosis.’ It may be possible to make this distinction with CT, as mucoceles do not enhance after administration of contrast material, whereas tumors do.9 The more common mucoceles are secondary, and result from past surgical intervention (especially Caldwell-Luc procedures) or trauma. They are referred to as postoperative mucoceles or surgical ciliated cysts of the maxilla.8 These are quite common in Japan, where they often treat sinus disease aggressively with surgery.“’ A mucocele contains sterile mucus and a mucopyocele is simply an infected mucocele.’ The treatment of these lesions is enucleation and curettage to prevent further expansion and destruction due to increased intraluminal pressure.2 The differential diagnosis of bilateral lesions of the maxilla includes basal cell nevus syndrome (multiple odontogenic keratocysts), the brown tumor of hyperparathyroidism, multiple myeloma, cherubism, fibrous dysplasia, central giant cell granuloma, anuerysmal bone cyst, hemangioma, antral carcinoma or other malignancy, cholesteatoma, mucus retention cyst, and odontogenic infection. Only histologic evaluation coupled with clinical behavior assures the proper diagnosis.