A Case of Rhinolithiasis Suspected to be an Odontoma and Review of Literature Reported in Japan

Abstract

A case of rhinolithiasis which was suspected to be an odontoma occured in the patient with mental retardation.
The 30-year-old man was escorted to our Department for consultation on September 28, 1991 with a complaint of swelling in the left buccal area. Physical examination revealed diffuse swelling and oppressive pain in the buccal portion, but no abnormal findings were detected in remaining teeth. The first X-P roentgenogram revealed a radio-opaque are within the nasal cavity. The clinical diagnosis was secondary maxillary ostitis caused by odontoma. On the demonstration of CT radiograph, a calcified focus was displayed in the left nasal cavity, thus the clinical diagnosis was corrected to be rhinolithiasis. The rhinolith was removed through an endo-nasal approach under general anesthesia. The substance was 15×10mm in size, with brown greyish color, and it weighed 1.8g. The mass was diagnosed histologically as calculus and bacterial flora.