Clinicopathologic features of 54 cases of paradental cyst

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic featu res of 54 paradental cysts. Method and materials: The cases were retrieved from the files of the Department of Oral Pathology of the University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. Only case files that included complete data, radiographs , and clinical history were used for the study. Results: Most of the cysts were adjacent to a partially erupted mandibular third molar; only two cysts were adjacent to mandibular second molars, and one cyst was adjacent to a first molar, Women were affected more often than were men (33:21), and most of the patients were in their second or third decades. In most cases, the affected tooth had a history of one or more episodes of pericoronitis. Hist ologically, these cysts presented the typical features of an inflammatory c yst, having a lining epithelium, which apparently resulted from a union bet ween reduced enamel epithelium and oral epithelium. Conclusion: Development of the paradental cyst could be avoided if episodes of pericoronitis were properly treated, because the cyst is usually related to pericoronitis.