Osteoporotic bone marrow defect mimicking odontogenic cysts: report of 2 cases

Osteoporotic bone marrow defect (OBMD) is an uncommon, localized area of ischemic bone marrow, usually confined to an extraction site in the posterior mandible and occasionally located in other skeletal sites. Most OBMDs are found incidentally and appear as a radiolucent or hypodense lesion with diffuse borders. The objective of this report is to present 2 unusual cases of OBMD as seen on panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomographic scans. The fea¬tured lesions exhibited well-corticated perimeters and resembled a cystic process. Histopathologically, OBMDs contain various stages of development of hematopoietic cell populations, fatty marrow, and spicules of normal trabeculated bone. OBMD should be included in the radiologic differential diagnosis of cyst-like lesions of the jaws. Atypical lesions warrant biopsy and microscopic assessment.