Prevalence of Stafne's bone cavity--retrospective analysis of 14,005 panoramic views

Stafne's bone cavity (SBC) is a very rare defect, affecting only selected parts of the mandibular bone. Its etiology is unknown. On two-dimensional images, it appears as a narrowed cavity and might be interpreted as a space-occupying process inside the bone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of SBC on panoramic views, and compare these results to published reports.

A total of 14,005 panoramic views were examined retrospectively with regard to the presence of SBC. All images were analyzed regarding typical characteristics as originally described by Stafne.

A total of 11 cases fulfilled diagnostic criteria of SBC (0.08%). All patients were men (100%), at a mean age of 58.1 years (range=38-75 years). Eight patients (72.7%) had SBC on the left side, three patients on the right side (27.3%). In eight cases, SBC was found in the mandibular corpus (72.7%), and in three cases in the mandibular angle (27.3%). Correlating with published results, SBC was found at a relative frequency of 0.13%.

SBC on panoramic views or other imaging modalities should alert the clinician to exclude other potential pathologies. In doubtful cases, surgical procedures might be necessary to verify the diagnosis.