A panoramic radiograph showing radiolucency scalloped around the roots of premolars is most consistent with:

Correct answer: D. Traumatic bone cyst

• A. Periapical abscess appears as a round radiolucency at the apex of a single tooth, not scalloping around multiple roots.
• B. Dentigerous cyst is associated with an unerupted tooth's crown, not scalloping around premolar roots.
• C. Ameloblastoma typically shows a soap-bubble or multilocular appearance, not scalloping around roots of erupted teeth.
• D. Correct. Traumatic bone cyst (simple bone cyst) classically shows a radiolucency that scallops between and around the roots of vital teeth. It is most common in the premolar-molar region. Treatment is surgical entry (aspiration/exploration) — blood fills the cavity and heals.