Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia mimicking multiple periapical pathology--an endodontic dilemma

A case of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD) mimicking periapical pathology is presented. The fact that the patient's lesion failed to resolve three years after root canal therapy, in addition to the presence of a mixed radiolucency with discreet radiopacities, mandated a biopsy which (along with radiographic co-relation) confirmed the diagnosis of cemento-osseous dysplasia. This case report illustrates the point that periapical radiolucencies may represent benign fibro-osseous lesions that may be overlooked or result in unnecessary endodontic treatment.