Clinical and radiographic features of eosinophilic granuloma in the jaws -Review of 41 lesions treated by surgery and low-dose radiotherapy

Eosinophilic granuloma within the jaws may radiographically mimic other ben ign odontogenic cysts and tumors, and different protocols have been suggest ed in the literature for treating eosinophilic granuloma of the jaws. Forty -one lesions of eosinophilic granuloma, diagnosed in 25 patients, were revi ewed retrospectively, and data were collected regarding age, gender, ethnic origin, location, symptoms, clinical appearance, radiographic features, tr eatment, and recurrence. The lesions were found in youngsters (18.1 +/- 4.7 years of age), mostly in the posterior parts of the mandible, and the most common presenting symptom was pain (92%), often accompanied by swelling. A pproximately one half of the lesions were radiographically well defined wit hout ossification. All patients were treated by enucleation (with or withou t peripheral ostectomy) and radiotherapy; 7.3% lesions recurred during foll ow-up (9.3 +/- 4.6 years). In addition, the different treatments suggested in the literature for eosinophilic granuloma of the jaws were reviewed.