Tip of the Iceberg: The Dental Radiograph.

ABSTRACT

Most of the lesions involving the mandible are inflammatory or infectious or odontogenic or fibro-osseous lesions. Osteosarcoma of the mandible is comparatively rare and hence is not usually included in the primary differential diagnosis. A 66-year-old male patient came to oral medicine and a radiology department with a complaint of pain and swelling in the left lower jaw of 3 weeks duration (Figure 1). Medical history revealed chronic liver and respiratory diseases and personal history disclosed heavy smoking and alcohol consumption since 40 years. On extraoral examination, a diffuse hard swelling was present on left lower posterior region of the mandible with a step deformity in the lower border of the mandible.