Peripheral osteoma of the mandible

Osteomas of the facial bones are a rare entity and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Osteomas are benign neoplasms, often asymptomatic and consist of well-differentiated matured bone. There are three varieties of osteomas- the central type arising from the endosteum, the peripheral type arising from the periosteum, and the extra-skeletal soft tissue osteomas which usually develops within the muscle. In the facial bones, both central and peripheral osteomas have been described. Peripheral osteomas have been described to occur in the frontal, ethmoid, and maxillary sinuses, but are not common in jawbones. We describe a rare case of symptomatic peripheral osteoma of mandible in a middle-aged female patient.