• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.408-413
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• 2009

Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a epithelial developmental cyst which were first described by Phillipsen in 1956. The frequency of OKC has been reported to vary from 3% to 11% of odontogenic cysts. The most characteristic clinical aspect of OKC is the high frequency of recurrence. The mechanism of recurrence is thought to be related to residues of cyst epithelium and an intrinsic growth potential following excision. And since the lining of the OKC is thin and friable, removal of the cyst in one piece may sometimes be difficult. Complete removal of the cyst lining without leaving behind remnants attached to the soft tissue or bone is necessary to avoid recurrence. Therapeutic approaches vary in different studies from marsupialization and enucleation, which may be combined with adjuvant therapy such as cryotherapy or Carnoy's solution, to marginal or radical resection. The recurrent rate varies from approximately 20% to 62%. And OKC in the angle-ramus region of the mandible had a higher tendency to recur, because of the difficulty in accessing and removing OKC from the ramus. By employing a sagittal splitting of the mandible a good surgical access was provided and cyst could be removed completely. We present an illustrative case of a small, lobulated OKC that involved ramus on mandible, and a review of the contemporary literature.