A CASE REPORT: STAFNE'S CYST IN THE ANTERIOR MANDIBLE

ABSTRACT

bone cavities" at the angle of the mandible. They appeared as unilocular, well-circumscribed, round or elliptical radiolucencies located below the inferior dental canal and between the angle of the mandible and first molar tooth. Since 1942, these lesions have been frequently described under various terms aberrant or ectopic salivary gland; static or latent or idiopathic defect, cavity or cyst; mandibular salivary gland inclusion; lingual mandibular cavity; and Stafne's cyst, defect or cavity. Usually they were asymptomatic, with a predilection for men between age 50 and 70 years, and almost unilateral. At surgical exploration, they appeared as concavities on the lingual cortex and contained salivary gland tissue, often in continuity with the submandibular gland. In 1957, Richard and Ziskind were the first to report the appearance of a Stafne's cyst in the premolar region. Contrary to posterior defects, the anterior defects are difficult to diagnose clinically because the mandibular canal is not present, and the unilocular radiolucency can be confused with other cysts (radicular, residual, odontogenic, lateral periodontal,etc).The purpose of the present report is to describe an unusual case of Stafne's cyst in the anterior region of the mandible in 58-years-old woman.