Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2019 03 19bcmar28path40t

BC oral pathology case 40: The 'empty' lesion

March 22, 2019
Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry presents the oral pathology case of a 14-year-old male with a lesion on the anterior mandible first seen on periapical x-rays his general dentist took. A CT scan revealed a circular, hypodense area.
Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry presents the oral pathology case of a 14-year-old male with a lesion on the anterior mandible first seen on periapical x-rays his general dentist took. A CT scan revealed a circular, hypodense area.

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in Breakthrough Clinical, a clinical specialties newsletter from Dental Economics and DentistryIQ. To subscribe, visit dentistryiq.com/subscribe.

Presentation

A 14-year-old male presented with a lesion of the anterior mandible first seen on periapical x-rays taken by his general dentist. The patient did not have symptoms and was unaware of any lesion prior to the x-rays.

Medical history and clinical exam

Clinically, there was no buccal or lingual expansion (figure 1). The patient’s medical history was noncontributory. A CT scan revealed a 1.5 cm x 1 cm well-defined, circular, hypodense area inferior to the lower incisors (figures 2–4).


Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4
After examining this information, what would be the next step in this case?

Send your answers to [email protected]. Next month, we will present the final diagnosis and recommended treatment for this oral pathology case.

CALL FOR PATHOLOGY CASES

Do you have an interesting oral pathology case you would like to share with Breakthrough’s readers? If so, submit a clinical radiograph or high-resolution photograph, a patient history, diagnosis, and treatment rendered to [email protected].

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in Breakthrough Clinical, a clinical specialties newsletter from Dental Economics and DentistryIQ. To subscribe, visit dentistryiq.com/subscribe.


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Ahmad Chaudhry, MD, DMD, graduated summa cum laude from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. He then attended Harvard School of Dental Medicine, graduating with honors in 2000. He went on to earn his doctor of medicine degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2004 and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery training in 2006, which included one year as a general surgery resident. Dr. Chaudhry practices at Lehigh Valley Oral Surgery and Implant Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and specializes in full-mouth rehabilitation with dental implants.
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