Sir,- A 14 year old male patient attended another surgery for care in March 1995. He had a retained LLC. An OPG showed LL3 erupting and an 11 mm diameter well defined circular radiolucency over the apex of LL4 mesial to and above the mental foramen (Fig. 1). I saw him for the first time in July 1997.
The previous dentist supplied me with the original radiograph and a new radiograph (Fig. 2) showed that the lesion was now more irregular and much larger (3cm × 2.5 cm). The adjacent teeth had been visibly displaced by the growing lesion. LLC was still retained and LL3 had not apparently moved; however he was suffering pain consistent with an infection in the lower left quadrant.
He was given penicillin and at a subsequent appointment the LLC was extracted. He was referred for a consultant's opinion with regard to the growing cyst-like lesion between LL4 and LL5. He failed to attend for care at the hospital.
However the consultant agreed that investigation was a good idea after seeing the radiographs. I next saw the patient in September 2003.
He was complaining of pain on his left side. A further OPG was taken to assess the state of the lesion (Fig. 3). The lesion had spontaneously resolved and the premolars had moved back together.
His pain was from the UL7 which was grossly carious. Perhaps the removal of LLC and subsequent eruption of LL3 allowed the cyst to exteriorise.
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Rawcliffe, J. Disappearing lesions. Br Dent J 196, 65 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810921
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810921
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British Dental Journal (2004)