Clinical and pathological examination of jaw masses: Retrospective analysis of 69 cases

Introduction: The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinicopathological features of the patients who presented with a mass in the jaw. Materials and Methods: Clinical files and histopathological records of 69 patients who presented to our clinic with complaints of swelling or mass in the upper or lower jaw between 2010 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Of the cysts and tumoral lesions in patients, 50.7% (35/69) were located in the maxilla and 49.3% (34/69) were located in the mandible. 23 (32.8%) odontogenic cysts, 11 (15,7%) non-odontogenic cysts, 15 (21.4%) odontogenic tumors, 12 (17,4%) local metastases from adjacent tissues to maxilla and mandible, 5 (7.1%) other distant metastases. Among the odontogenic cysts, the most common radicular cysts were 39.13% (10/23), the second had dentigerous cyst 34.78% (8/23). In our 11 patients with non-odontogenic cysts, only nasoalveolar cysts were observed. The distribution of odontogenic tumors are; 40% (6/15) odontoma, 26.6% (4/15) giant cell reparative granuloma, 20% (3/15) ameloblastoma, 6.6% (1/15) rates of cementoma and odontogenic fibroma. Conclusion: When the etiologic causes of the patients who have complaints of mass in the jaw are examined, we can encounter many different pathologies. Although odontogenic and non-odontogenic cysts are the most common benign masses, we should consider the masses that metastasize to this region and the primary tumors originating from this region.