Mandibular ramus-related Stafne's bone cavity

Abstract

Mandibular bone depressions located on the lingual/buccal aspect of the mandibular ramus are the rarest variants of the so-called Stafne's bone cavities, or major salivary gland-related depressions, with only 17 cases reported in the literature including both clinical cases and archaeological specimens. We report the case of a 14-year-old male patient who sought clinical assistance complaining of a hard expansion on the lower left premolar-molar region. Apart from a unilocular radiolucent lesion between the lower left second premolar and first molar, a panoramic radiograph showed another radiolucent lesion located in the right mandibular ramus, at the level of the mandibular foramen. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an expansile lesion in the left mandibular body, later diagnosed as a simple bone cyst through surgical exploration. The three-dimensional CT volume rendering reconstructed image showed that the second lesion, located on the lingual aspect of the ascending ramus, was an actual cortical bone defect, which was diagnosed as a mandibular ramus-related Stafne's bone cavity. Considering the young age of the patient, the size of the defect, the recognizedly slow development of mandibular bone defects and, above all, the location of the bone defect under discussion, we believe it to have a congenital rather than a developmental origin (i.e. it was caused by a focal failure during intramembranous ossification of the mandible). If this is the case, mandibular bone depressions should not be seen exclusively as salivary gland-related bone defects.

An unusual case of multilocular Stafne bone cavity

“…Similar defects have also been described in the anterior region near the apical region of the premolars, associated with the sublingual glands (lingual anterior variant), and very rarely on the medial surface of the ascending ramus, associated with the parotid gland (medial ramus variant). 6,7 Although the location of SBD is thought to be consistent with the placement of salivary glands, SBDs have been found to contain salivary glands, connective tissue, fat, lymphoid tissue, muscle or blood vessels; empty cavities have also been recorded during surgery. 3 Shimizu et al 8 aforementioned type of defect usually settles anteriorly from the distal border of mylohyoid muscle and more than 75% of those defects contain fat tissue.…”

“…1 It has also been reported that pressure of the glandular tissue on the lingual cortex of the mandible causes a lingual bony depression. 7,9 In addition, it has been reported that SBDs result from benign fatty or vascular lesions. 10 The influence of arterial pulses can cause bone resorption, as patients with hypertension tend to have SBDs.…”

Stafne Bone Cavity in the Anterior Mandible

“…27,28,46,47,51,52 However, cases in the anterior mandible are even less frequent than the unilateral and bilateral cases of the posterior defects. 28Y30,42,47 The first case in the anterior mandible is described by Richard and Ziskind 2 in 1957, which they called aberrant salivary gland tissue in the mandible.…”

Stafne's Defect with Buccal Cortical Expansion: A Case Report

“…In a report on a mandibular ramus-related Stafne's bone cavity [7], Campos et al showed that there was no contact between the parotid gland and the bone surface at the site. Therefore, SBD may also be the result of a focal failure during intramembranous ossification of the mandible [7].…”

“…Therefore, SBD may also be the result of a focal failure during intramembranous ossification of the mandible [7]. …”