Epidermoid cyst is a congenital cyst caused by the impaction of embryonal ectoderm and is known to occur with relatively low incidence within the oral cavity, rarely occurring in the jaw bone.
The authors have recently experienced one case of epidermoid cyst which developed within the mandible, and report the outline of this case with further discussion in reference to the literature.
The patient is a 44-year-old male who visited the hospital on July 14, 1984 complaining of swelling at the left mandibular molar.
X-ray revealed a well defined oval, hen egg-sized radiolucency from the distal area of the lower first molar throught the mandibular branch. In biopsy conducted under the clinical diagnosis as mandibular cyst, it was pathologically diagnosed as epidermoid cyst.
Accordingly, cyst extirpation was performed under general anesthesia with NLA on August 9, 1984. There was little adhesion between the cystic wall and the surrounding bones and the cyst was easily ablated. The cystic cavity was kept open in accordance to subcativity formation method. The patient has shown a favorable course for these three months following surgery. The authors will continue careful observation on the patient's prognosis.
