Research ArticleOpen Access

Clinico-radiological Presentations of Maxillofacial Hard- Tissue Swellings in a Tertiary Health Facility in West African Suburb

Odai ED^1* and Ogbeide E²

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000275

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- ¹Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Benin, Nigeria
- ²Department of Oral Radiology and Diagnosis, University of Benin, Nigeria

Received: July 23, 2017; Published: August 17, 2017

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Abstract

Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence of jaw swellings among maxillofacial surgery patients, the demographics of the patients with jaw swellings and the radiological characteristics of these jaw swellings seen over a period of fifteen years.

Methods: Descriptive retrospective-prospective study. (A retrospective review of cases seen in a ten year period between 1996 and 2005 and a prospective study of cases seen in a five year period between 2006 and 2010). Data of interest were age, gender, anatomic location of the lesions; radiographic characteristics of the lesions- radiolucent, radio-opaque or mixed radiolucent/radio-opaque lesions and the nature of the borders on plain radiographic films.

Results: There were 38,220 attendances to the clinic within the period studied and 1,513 of these presented with maxillofacial swellings, made up of 660 males and 853 females. This is an incidence of 4.0% of maxillofacial swellings among attendants of the maxillofacial clinic. Age range (median) of patients with maxillofacial swelling is 1-87 (30) years. Radiolucency was the most presented radiographic form 1067, radiopaque lesions were 228 and mixed forms were 218 of all the cases of swellings included in the study. Most, 1182 of the lesions are located in the mandible. There were 505 of these lesions in the posterior mandible.

Conclusion: This study concludes that a sizeable number of patients attending to see a maxillofacial surgeon present with a facial swelling, with a slight female predilection and most of the lesions occur in the posterior mandible. Advocacy for purposeful preventive measures and a more equitable distribution of available human and material resources is recommended.