Canine Conservative Tooth Operation for Odontogenic Keratocyst in a Dog

Abstract

A 1-year-old spayed female Golden Retriever had presented with swelling on the right-hand side of the bridge of the nose and gingiva and alveolar mucosa of the right maxillary canine tooth two months previously. The swelling was alleviated by draining the fluid and administering antibiotics. Ten days before the referral, the swelling recurred in the same area and the dog was referred to the Animal Medical Center, Gifu University. The parchment crepitation on the swollen gingiva and alveolar mucosa of the right maxillary canine was palpated at initial admission. Radiographic and computed tomography examination revealed the buccal alveolar bone of the right maxillary canine in the transmitted image, and a cyst was located around the alveolar bone. The tissue obtained through biopsy was diagnosed as an odontogenic cyst lined with a stratified squamous epithelium. The dog was therefore diagnosed presumptively with a cyst, and extirpative surgery was performed one week later. The swelling was directly cut and exfoliated to clear the alveolar bone. The wall of the cyst was exposed and surgically removed. Since the cyst did not include tooth substance and there was neither significant displacement nor mobility of the teeth around the lesion, the tooth was not extracted. The surgically removed lesion was diagnosed as an odontogenic keratocyst lined with a stratified squamous epithelium with parakeratosis. Based on this case, it is evident that odontogenic keratocysts can be treated with tooth-conserving surgery as long as they are discovered and treated early.