Clinicopathologic Review Of Odontogenic Keratocysts At Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Objectives: The aim of the study was to review all cases of odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) seen over a 37-year period (1972-2008) at the departments of Oral pathology and Oral & oral and Maxillofacial surgery of the University of Lagos with a view to highlighting the age, sex, location of lesion, radiological and histological features of the lesion. Methods: Clinical and histological information on all cases of histologically diagnosed OKCs seen during the period were retrieved and analysed based on the following; age, sex, site of lesion, radiographic presentation, duration as at time of hospital presentation, radiographic features and histological features. Result: Fifty-four OKCs were recorded of which 39 (72.2%) were in males and 15 females (27.8%). The peak age occurrence was in the 4th decade of life (31.5%). Forty-six lesions (85.2%) were located in the mandible and only eight (14.8%) were located in the maxilla with a mandible-maxilla ratio of 5.6: 1. The most common site of involvement was the 1st and 2nd molar region (42.6%) region in both jaws. Multilocular radioluscency was the most common radiographic appearance while parakeratinised form of epithelial lining was the most common histologic form. Ameloblastoma (19 cases), followed by dentigerous cyst (13 cases) were the most common clinical diagnosis made for the OKCs. There was no cyst associated with the Gorlin –Gortz syndrome (GGZ).

Conclusions: OKCs commonly occur in 4th decade of life and in the mandible. The most common jaw location of OKCs is the 1st and 2nd molar region with male preponderance. No case of GGS was recorded in our study; therefore the association of OKCs with GGS is an infrequent finding in this environment.