Use of guided tissue regeneration in the treatment of a lateral periodontal cyst with a 7-month reentry.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The lateral periodontal cyst (LPC) is an unusual cyst of odontogenic origin, most frequently encountered in the mandible between the roots of canines and premolars. The most common treatment for LPC is surgical enucleation. This article reports a case of an LPC treated with guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and bone allograft. METHODS: A 74-year-old woman presented for periodontal examination. Radiographs revealed a cystic lesion with LPC characteristics. After surgical incisions and flap reflection, the cyst was removed and sent for biopsy. Because of the anatomy of the resulting intrabony defect, GTR was considered the ideal treatment. RESULTS: The biopsy revealed the histologic features of an LPC. Radiographs at 7 months post-treatment indicated bone fill of the initial defect. Although some attachment loss occurred, the reentry demonstrated a high percentage of bone fill of the defect after 7 months. CONCLUSION: Depending on the anatomy of the defect left after the removal of an LPC, GTR, along with bone grafting, can be a very useful tool for its treatment by reducing the attachment loss observed after simple enucleation of the cyst.