Sclerotic cemental masses of the jaws (so-called chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis, sclerosing osteitis, multiple enostosis, and gigantiform cementoma

Abstract

A series of thirty-eight cases of densely sclerotic lesions of the jaws was studied. The lesions were all at least 1.5 cm, in diameter. Pain, drainage, or localized expansion of the jaw was present in two thirds of the patients. Thirty-four of the thirty-eight patients were women, and twenty-five were negros. In fourteen instances, a radiographic survey of the entire jaws was available. Thirteen of these fourteen patients had multiple lesions which were usually symmetrically distributed throughout the jaws. In twenty-four patients radiographs of the lesional area only were available for review. In thirty-four of the thirty-eight cases (89 per cent), the sclerotic masses were interpreted as cementum. Although this condition has previously been described as chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis, sclerosing osteitis, multiple enostosis, or gigantiform cementoma, it appears more appropriate to consider these lesions as part of the spectrum of the benign fibro-osseous lesions of periodontal ligament origin. Four of the sclerotic lesions, which were radiographically indistinguishable from the cemental lesions, consisted only of bone. Two of these appeared to be examples of true chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis, and two may be appropriately designated as enostosis or osteomas.