Cemento-osseous dysplasia of the jaws in 54 Japanese patients - A radiographic study

Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the radiographic patterns of cemento-osseous dysplasia. Study design. Fifty-four patients affected with benign fibro-osseous jaw le sions that showed periapical radiopacities and/or radiolucencies in a focal or a multiplex form were studied. The clinical, radiographic, and histopat hologic features of the patients with cemento-osseous dysplasia were retros pectively studied. Radiographic features of the cemento-osseous dysplasia l esions were classified according to the appearance of calcified bodies. Rad iographic visibility of periodontal ligament spaces of related teeth was as sessed. Results. Forty-nine (91%) of the 54 patients were women. The mean age of th e total group was 50.8 years, and that of the male group was 64.6 years. Th e cemento-osseous dysplasia lesions could be classified into 6 types radiog raphically. Eighteen patients had at least 2 or more types of cemento-osseo us dysplasia lesions. Of 147 related teeth, 142 had periodontal ligament sp aces clearly visible. Six of 9 patients who had a total of 25 teeth with ac tive hypercementosis showed concomitant occurrence of other types of cement o-osseous dysplasia lesions. Biopsy specimens showed various amounts of bon elike and cementumlike tissues. Conclusions. It is likely that cemento-osseous dysplasia consists of 3 vari ations of a single entity, all with the same unknown cause. In one variatio n, the entity originates from the periodontium; in another, it is of medull ary bone origin; and in the third it results from the simultaneous involvem ent of both tissues.