A massive dentigerous cyst of the mandible in a young patient: a case report

Cysts of the jaw present as swellings of jaws and midface. Of the different varieties, the dentigerous cyst is the most common type of noninflammatory odontogenic cyst and the frequent cause of a lytic lesion associated with an impacted tooth. The cyst develops from epithelial remnants of the tooth forming organ. The obstruction of venous flow due to compression of tooth follicle by developing tooth causes fluid accumulation between the follicular epithelium and the crown of the developing or unerupted tooth resulting in a cyst. Most small dentigerous cysts manifest in early age, usually as an incidental discovery in radiographic examinations. However, they can grow extremely large, asymptomatically, and remain undetected until they enlarge enough, causing bony expansion and asymptomatic facial swelling. We present a challenging case of massive dentigerous cyst in a 13‐year‐old female child involving half of the mandible, which was successfully treated with conservative therapy. This case report illustrates the effectiveness of simplified surgical treatment for a large dentigerous cyst in the mixed dentition period.