Use of Cone-beam Computed Tomography as a Critical Component in the Diagnosis of an Infected Nasopalatine Duct Cyst Mimicking Chronic Apical Abscess: A Case Report.
Nasopalatine duct cysts (NPDCs) and other nonodontogenic lesions of the oral cavity may mimic odontogenic pathoses. We present a case of a 22-year-old man with a history of dental trauma and a lesion displaying the typical clinical and radiographic signs of a chronic apical abscess- a buccal sinus tract that was traced to a radiolucent area in the periapex of a maxillary central incisor. A comprehensive diagnostic process that included a cone-beam computed tomographic scan and a histopathologic examination of the lesion after complete enucleation led to the final diagnosis of an infected NPDC. The adjacent tooth was vital at the 1-year posttreatment follow-up, and a radiograph demonstrated complete healing of the periradicular structures. This case demonstrates the ability of NPDCs to present clinical and radiographic signs similar to apical inflammatory lesions and the need for a meticulous diagnostic process in order to avoid unnecessary endodontic intervention. The article also discusses the differential diagnoses of nonodontogenic lesions in the premaxillary area.
['Levy|Dan Henry|DH|', 'Dinur|Noam|N|', 'Becker|Talia|T|', 'Azizi|Hadas|H|', 'Ben Itzhak|Joe|J|', 'Solomonov|Michael|M|']
D000038:Abscess D000328:Adult D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography D006801:Humans D007180:Incisor D008297:Male D009631:Nonodontogenic Cysts D009057:Stomatognathic Diseases D055815:Young Adult
cone-beam computed tomography nasopalatine duct cyst Apical abscess