Traditionally, non-odontogenic developmental cysts arising in the maxilla were considered to originate from embryonic fissures. The etiology of such lesions, however, has been denied mainly because the occurrence sites are occasionally inconsistent with the clefts. Hence, the underlying mechanism implicated in the odontogenic process is well accepted. However, it is still controversial since several reports suggested that globulomaxillary cysts are independent from cysts of odontogenic origin. In the present study, we report a case of a developmental maxillary cyst in a patient with unilateral cleft lip. A 46-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for treatment of a cystic lesion in the maxilla. The patient had a surgical history of lip repair at the age of three months. Radiographic examination showed a well-demarcated maxillary cyst between the upper-left lateral incisor and canine. Cystectomy and apicoectomy of the lateral incisor were performed under general anesthesia. Histopathological examination showed pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, and therefore the lesion was diagnosed as a non-odontogenic cyst. There has been no sign of recurrence for two years after the surgery.
