Pattern of odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Oral Pathology
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Jaws are prone to various cysts due to tooth formation tissues.
• Odontogenic cysts (OCs) are specific to the oral and maxillofacial region.
• Limited research exists on cyst patterns in sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the prevalence and patterns of odontogenic and non-odontogenic cysts in a Kenyan population.
• To analyze demographic data including age and sex distribution of oral cysts.
• To compare findings with existing literature from other populations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective audit of histopathologic records from 1991 to 2010 at the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital.
• Inclusion of all diagnosed oral and maxillofacial cystic lesions.
• Data extraction included patient age, sex, and cyst type.

Main Results:

• 194 cysts were diagnosed, representing 4.56% of 4257 oral and maxillofacial lesions.
• The majority of patients were male (64.4%), with an age range of 1-70 years (mean 23.76).
• Most common OCs were dentigerous and radicular cysts (57.2%); the most common non-odontogenic cyst was the nasopalatine duct cyst (42.8%).

Conclusions:

• Oral and maxillofacial cysts are prevalent in the Kenyan population studied.
• Odontogenic cysts, particularly dentigerous cysts, are the most common type.
• Cysts affect males more frequently and manifest 10-15 years earlier than in Caucasian populations.