Pathology · patient case question
Given the multilocular soap-bubble appearance with cortical expansion in the posterior mandible, which diagnosis is most likely?
Patient case: Cortical Expansion of the Posterior Mandible
demo: 34-year-old male
chief: “The outside of my jaw has been slowly swelling for about a year.”
history: Non-contributory. No pain, no paresthesia.
meds: None
findings: Occlusal radiograph shows buccal and lingual cortical expansion in the posterior mandible. Panoramic view shows a multilocular soap-bubble radiolucency. Clinical images and radiographs shown below.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Ameloblastoma
- A. A simple bone cyst produces a scalloped radiolucency between roots without expansion and with no lining.
- B. Condensing osteitis is radiopaque, not radiolucent.
- C. Correct. Ameloblastoma is a benign but locally aggressive odontogenic tumor with a strong predilection for the posterior mandible, producing multilocular soap-bubble or honeycomb radiolucency with marked cortical expansion and often root resorption.
- D. Cemento-osseous dysplasia is a periapical mixed-density lesion of vital anterior mandibular teeth, without expansion.