Exercises in Oral pathology - Q and A
Question 1
Early stage cementoblastomas could appear radiolucent in radiographs. Is this true?
Question 2
Cementoblastoma closely resembles another lesion in radiographs?
Which one is it?
If you know which one, how could you differentiate between the two lesions radiographically?
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📚Study resources on HackDentistry!
Answer👇
Answer for Question 1
Q:Early stage cementoblastomas could appear radiolucent in radiographs. Is this true?
A:Yes, that is very much true.
Early stage cementoblastomas appear radiolucent. With time cementoblastomas become calcified and attain their characteristic radiology features (radiopaque mass with radiolucent rim, obscuring tooth root).
Answer for Question 2
Q:Cementoblastoma closely resembles another lesion in radiographs?
Which one is it?
If you know which one, how could you differentiate between the two lesions radiographically?
A:Condensing osteitis resembles cementoblastoma in radiographs and is a possible differential diagnosis.
Condensing osteitis (CO) is a form of non-suppurative osteomyelitis called “chronic focal sclerosing osteomyelitis”.
CO is a focal “sclerotic” bony reaction to low grade infection or inflammation.
Presence of a "radiolucent rim" in cementoblastoma
Cementoblastoma appears as a radiopaque mass intimately associated or attached to the tooth root. There is a thin rim of radiolucency around the radiopaque mass.
Condensing osteitis appears as a radiopaque mass surrounding the associated tooth root. However there is no radiolucent rim surrounding the radiopaque mass like in cementoblastoma.
Cementoblastoma resorbs the tooth root
The tooth root or roots associated with cementoblastoma are obscured or obliterated due to the tumor resorbing and attaching to the tooth root/roots.
Condensing osteitis lesion does not resorb or obscure the associated root/roots of the tooth. The root outline is visible with an intact lamina dura. The PDL space is widened.
📚Here are some resources for further reading
Reichart PA, Philipsen HP. Odontogenic tumors and allied lesions. Quintessence Publishing; 2004.
White SC, Pharoah MJ. Oral Radiology: Principles and Interpretation. 5th ed. Mosby; 2004.
Wood NK, Goaz PW. Differential Diagnosis of Oral and Maxillofacial Lesions. 5 th ed. Mosby; 1997.
Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM, Chi A. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. South Asian ed. Elsevier; 2016.
Rajendran R, Sivapathasundaram B. Shafer’s Textbook of Oral Pathology. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2012.
Regezzi JA, Sciubba JJ, Jordan RCK. Oral Pathology: Clinical Pathologic Correlations. 5 th ed. Elsevier; 2007.