Minimally invasive surgical approach in a large mandibular solitary cyst : case report and review of the literature

Solitary bone cyst (SBC) is an intraosseus radiolucent lesions that defers from real cysts for the fact that peripheral epithelial lining is totally absent. It could be classified as a psudocyst and occurs most frequently in young patients. In most cases SBC doesn’t cause symptoms and it is often diagnosed accidentally during routine radiographic examination. A right diagnosis of this disease is also complicated because there are no pathognomonic radiographic signs and symptoms: so this form of pseudocyst is often misdiagnosed as a common odontogenic cyst. Despite numerous studies, the pathogenesis of the SBC is not yet established: the most widely accepted theory is that it could be the result of an intramedullary necrosis determined by a trauma. In this article we report a case of SBC in child treated with a minimal surgical approach. This new kind of treatment is much more conservative than the traditional one, it can be performed as outpatients, under local anesthesia and with few postoperative discomfort: For these reasons this minimal invasive technique appears to be particulary suitable for pediatric patients.