Oral Surgery Flashcards
What is the definition of a cyst?
A cyst is a pathological cavity having fluid or semi-fluids contents, which has not been created by the accumulation of pus. These occur more commonly in the jaw bones than elsewhere and are often epithelial lined.
Why do cyst form more commonly in the jaw bones?
Because there are epithelial remnants left from the dental lamina here.
Specifically what developing dental tissues are responsible for forming cysts?
Cell rests of Malassez from root sheath of Hertwig that forms a root of the tooth - these for the radicular inflammatory cyst.
Reduced enamal epithelium also forms a lining over the crown of the tooth in the follicular tissue that form a dentigerous cyst.
What is the process that drives the expansion of a cyst?
Hydrostatic process.
What kind of swelling will be present intra-orally if a cyst is present?
Smooth/fluctuant swelling
Name 12 signs and symptoms of a cyst?
- Asymptomatic, chance finding on radiograph
- Bony expansion (egg shell crackling)
- Fluctuant swelling
- Missing teeth
- Carious, discoloured, fractured teeth
- Tilted/displaced teeth
- Discharge/sinus
- Loose teeth
- Mental hypoaesthesia
- Hollow percussion note
- Pain and swelling if secondary infection
- Pathological fracture
Name 4 investigations you could carry out if a cyst is suspected.
- Vitality testing of teeth around the cyst
- Radiographs - possibly include CBCT however firstly do periapicals/DPT if large
- Aspiration of cystic contents (if contents are clear then its often an inflammatory radicular cysts).
- Biopsy to establish it is a cyst.
What are 3 aims when managing mandibular cysts?
- Eradicate the pathology
- To minimise surgical damage
- To restore function quickly
State 6 treatment options for cysts.
- marsupialisation
- enucleation
- marsupialtion + enucletion
- enucleation and curettage/ excision
- en bloc resection-jaw continuity maintained
- partial resection-continuity lost
What is the first line treatment option?
Enucleation
What is enucleation?
Complete removal of the cyst lining. Following enucleation closure can be primarily or secondarily by packing defect. This may be contraindicated if the cyst is large, involving a number of vital teeth, in a difficult anatomical site or involving a potentially useful unerupted tooth.
What are the different stages surgically of the procedure of enucleation?
- Raise a flap- dont incise over the access site to the cyst
- Lift the mucosa off the bone
- Remove overlying buccal bone and curettage
- Suture the flap with the mucosa resting on crestal bone
- The space created after the cyst is removed will fill with blood and then turn into granulation tissue and eventually bone.
Why is having a dead space not beneficial?
- Can get reactionary haemorrhage
- Post operative infection
What can you do to eliminate the dead space?
- Place a drain, a vaccum drain will suck down the size of the dead space
- procedure to collapse the wall of the cavity
- Use of biological and other materials to fill the space.
- Use layered soft tissue closure or secondary intention (packing).
What are the advantages of enucleation?
- Complete removal for histology
- Cavity heals without complications
What are the disadvantages of enucleation?
- Infection
- Incomplete removal of lining
- Damages to adjacent teeth or antrum
- Weakening of bone
What is marsupialisation?
The creation of a window in the cyst lining, suturing the flap to the remaining lining to allow shrinkage of the lesion which may become self cleansing or be subsequently removed.
This is the treatment of choice in cases of eruption cysts involving potentially useful teeth.
What are the different stages surgically of the procedure of marsupialisation?
- Make an incision at the site of the cyst
- Raise mucoperiosteal flap so that you have superior and inferior aspects to the flap
- Do not suture, you want healing by granulation tissue, this area isnt self cleansing so you place an acrylic bung to prevent food debris entering
- Over several months bone will deposit underlying.