Radionuclide bone imaging in the surgical treatment planning of odontogenic keratocysts

Locally aggressive benign lesions of the jaws, such as odontogenic keratocysts and ameloblastomas, require complete excision in view of the high incidence of recurrence after incomplete surgical removal. Because of the limitations of conventional radiology as the sole technique for determining the extent of these lesions, the use of 99m-technetium-labeled bone-imaging agents is suggested. This method of defining the location of surgical margins is based on the agent's sensitivity as an indicator of subtle changes in bone metabolism. A case of an unusually large recurrent odontogenic keratocyst is presented in which the planning of the surgical procedure was predicated on the results of a bone scan of the jaws in addition to conventional radiology. This diagnostic procedure, especially when used in conjunction with conventional radiology, appears to be of considerable value in defining the extent of a variety of oral-maxillofacial bony lesions.