Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
Anterior lingual mandibular salivary gland defect (Stafne defect) presenting as a residual cyst*,**,*

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Abstract

Lingual mandibular salivary gland inclusion (Stafne defect) is a developmental anomaly represented by a bone concavity usually containing submandibular gland tissue. The posterior mandible region, particularly at the angle and below the mandibular canal, is the common location, and the anterior mandibular variants occur rather seldom. The latter is usually observed in the premolar and cuspid region, or more rarely in the symphysis, as a round or ovoid radiolucency sometimes appearing superimposed over the teeth's apices, resembling a true cystic lesion or an odontogenic tumor. We report an additional case of anterior lingual mandibular salivary gland defect occurring in a 42-year-old white man. It presented as an asymptomatic radiolucency located on the left side of the mandible, in the region of an absent second premolar and first molar, above the alveolar canal, mimicking a residual cyst. Histopathologic examination of the “cyst” content revealed the absence of a cyst lining and the presence of normal sublingual gland tissue. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2002;94:460-64)

Section snippets

Case report

A 42-year-old white man consulted his dental practitioner for a routine examination. The dentist noticed on a panoramic radiograph a unilocular radiolucency located in an edentulous zone between the lower left first premolar and the second molar (#18 to #21). The lesion appeared to have no relationship with the adjacent teeth. It was located above the mandibular canal with well-defined margins and measured approximately 1.5 cm × 1.0 cm (Fig 1).

. Panoramic radiograph shows mandibular unilocular

Discussion

Salivary gland inclusions in the posterior part of the mandible usually have a typical location and radiographic aspect, allowing an easy diagnosis of Stafne bone defect. The lesion may sometimes interrupt the continuity of the inferior border of the mandible. Most lesions are asymptomatic, and rarely the lingual defect can be clinically palpated. It is now established that such defects are nonprogressive.18

Anterior salivary gland inclusions are considered to be rare. To date, only 34 previous

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      Citation Excerpt :

      They have been found in the anterior region of the mandible,5,11 and rarely bilaterally.13 Stafne bone cavities can usually be distinguished clearly from their differential diagnoses on panoramic radiographs,3,5,8,14 because of the typical site in the posterior mandible below the nerve canal, together with the round or ovoid shape that clearly demarcates them from their surroundings. Additional imaging in the form of cone-beam CT and MRI are recommended in the rare and atypical case of, say, an anterior variant.4,11

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    *

    Reprint requests: Dr T. Lombardi, PD, Laboratory of Oral Histopathology, Division of Stomatology and Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, 19, rue Barthélemy-Menn, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland, [email protected]

    **

    aDivision of Stomatology and Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

    *

    bLaboratory of Oral Histopathology, School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

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