Prevalence of Stafne's bone cavity--retrospective analysis of 14,005 panoramic views.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Stafne's bone cavity (SBC) is a very rare defect, affecting only selected parts of the mandibular bone. Its etiology is unknown. On two-dimensional images, it appears as a narrowed cavity and might be interpreted as a space-occupying process inside the bone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of SBC on panoramic views, and compare these results to published reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 14,005 panoramic views were examined retrospectively with regard to the presence of SBC. All images were analyzed regarding typical characteristics as originally described by Stafne. RESULTS: A total of 11 cases fulfilled diagnostic criteria of SBC (0.08%). All patients were men (100%), at a mean age of 58.1 years (range=38-75 years). Eight patients (72.7%) had SBC on the left side, three patients on the right side (27.3%). In eight cases, SBC was found in the mandibular corpus (72.7%), and in three cases in the mandibular angle (27.3%). Correlating with published results, SBC was found at a relative frequency of 0.13%. CONCLUSION: SBC on panoramic views or other imaging modalities should alert the clinician to exclude other potential pathologies. In doubtful cases, surgical procedures might be necessary to verify the diagnosis.