Radicular Cyst: Or something else? Differential Diagnosis

Respiratory System (J00-J99)

  • Retention cyst (cyst due to outflow obstruction of a gland) of the maxillary sinus [DD: Missing compactal lamella as cyst boundary].

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

  • Focal osteoporotic (focal bone loss) bone marrow defect [DD: absent bone trabeculae].
  • Well demarcated bone marrow island (physiological findings).

Mouth, esophagus (esophagus), stomach, and intestines (K00-K67; K90-K93).

  • Disorders of tooth development and eruption (K00).
    • Follicular (“belonging to a follicle”) cyst [DD between radicular cyst of deciduous tooth and follicular cyst of permanent tooth not possible in absence of pericoronary space demarcation]
  • Other diseases of the dental hard tissues (K03).
    • Periapical (“around the root apex”) cementum dysplasia stage 1 [DD: teeth vital, no limitation of lesion by corticalis/bone compacta].
  • Diseases of the pulp and periapical tissues (K04).
    • Periapical/apical granuloma/root granuloma/chronic apical periodontitis [DD: Only when the periapical lightening is 6 to 8 mm or the lesion area exceeds 2 cm² is a radicular (“root concerning”) cyst to be assumed].
    • Periapical abscess
    • Radicular cyst
      • Apical (“tooth rootward”; periodontal/periodontal related).
      • Lateral (laterally)
      • Periapical (“around the root tip”)
      • Residual (“to remain as a residue”).
      • Radicular
  • Cysts of the oral region, not elsewhere classified (K09).
    • Non-odontogenic (“not belonging to the teeth”) cysts.
      • Nasopalatinal cyst (maxillary dentes incisivi/incisors).
      • Globulomaxillary cyst
    • Lateral periodontal cyst [DD: preserved vitality of the tooth].
    • Primordial cyst/keratocyst
    • Solitary bone cyst [DD: vital tooth, periodontal gap demarcable without transition into cyst lumen].

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Carcinoma metastasis (daughter tumors based on malignant disease).
  • Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) [DD: unlikely in the absence of periodontal cleft demarcation].
  • Jaw dysplasia
  • Osteolytic tumors (tumors that lead to bone loss).
    • Plasmocytoma
    • Eosinophilic granuloma
    • Bone hemangioma
    • Osteoblastoma
    • Giant cell granuloma
    • Et al.
  • Cystic ameloblastoma

Injuries, poisonings and other consequences of external causes (S00-T98).

  • Postoperative bone defects [DD: anamnestic root tip resection, cyst surgery, removal of an osteosynthesis screw].