Epithelial jaw cysts: analysis of 126 Nigerian cases

One hundred and twenty-six Nigerian cases of epithelial jaw cysts were retrieved from case notes and biopsy records of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The cases were analysed for age, sex, site and methods of management. Results show that developmental odontogenic cysts (57.14%) were more common than inflammatory odontogenic cysts (26.94%). Dentigerous cyst (22.22%) was the most common epithelial jaw cyst, followed by radicular cyst (21.43%). Developmental non-odontogenic cysts were more than twice as common in females as in males. Sixty-eight per cent of epithelial jaw cysts were treated by enucleation, 10% by marsupialisation, 13% by jaw resection and 9% by surgical excision.