title: CT of cystic jaw lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to compare the efficacy of CT with that of plain film radiography (PFR) in analyzing the three-dimensional shape and structure of cystic jaw lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with cystic lesion of the jaw were studied by PFR and CT. The three-dimensional outline of the cyst and the distances between the cyst wall and adjacent vital teeth, cortical jaw bone, maxillary sinus, and mandibular canal were estimated on PFR and on CT scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computed tomography was superior to PFR in the demonstration of the three-dimensional bony margins of the cyst and in determination of its proximity to adjacent vital structures (p < 0.01, sign test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of CT is useful for diagnosis and treatment planning of cystic lesions of the jaws.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bar-Ziv
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007570:Jaw Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed