Radiologic appearance of primary jaw lesions in children

The jaw (an unusual site of primary tumors in children and adolescents) has lesions often found incidentally by dentists on routine panoramic radiographs or during examination of a child who has swelling or tooth pain.

This pictorial seeks to familiarize pediatric radiologists with the radiographic appearance of a variety of primary jaw lesions.

We retrospectively searched institutional records for cases of primary jaw lesions in children and adolescents. Jaw lesions were characterized as: I, well-circumscribed radiolucent lesions; II, lesions with mixed or variable appearance; III, poorly circumscribed radiolucent lesions; and IV, radiopaque lesions.

Although most oral and maxillofacial lesions in children are benign, a broad spectrum of tumors was identified; lesions may occur in patients with unrelated prior malignancy.

Because radiologic studies may identify jaw lesions and direct further care, familiarity with the appearance of these entities is prudent.