Unusual radiographic appearance of ossifying fibroma in the left mandibular angle

Abstract

Ossifying fibroma is usually a unilocular lesion with a well-defined, thinly corticated margin radiographically, although various patterns have been noted. The patient was a 27-year-old woman with a painless radiolucent lesion demonstrated on panoramic radiography to involve the root-apex area of the left lower second and third molars. Radiographically, the lesion had some features of a benign tumour, such as an odontogenic myxoma. However, the deep invaginations towards the interalveolar septa suggested a simple bone cyst, whereas the irregular margin and lack of expansion or mandibular canal displacement were consistent with a malignant lesion. A hard tissue component was confirmed only by soft-tissue mode CT. Although this lesion was histopathologically diagnosed as ossifying fibroma, the conflicting imaging findings were challenging and very intriguing.