Idiopathic osteosclerosis in the jaws of Britons and of the Hong Kong Chinese: radiology and systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis in the jaws in Hong Kong and Britain.


METHODS
The panoramic radiographs of consecutive patients who attended the primary care departments of the dental hospitals in Hong Kong in 1981 and 1990 and London in 1990 and of Edinburgh in 1993 were reviewed. The size of the Hong Kong lesions was measured. The literature was subjected to systematic review.


RESULTS
The prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis in Hong Kong in 1981 and 1990, London and Edinburgh was 6.7, 5.5, 2.7 and 4.1% respectively. The prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis was greater in the Oriental (Chinese and Japanese) than in Western surveys. The lesions in the 1990 Hong Kong survey in the third decade were significantly smaller than those in the 1981 survey. The decrease in size in Hong Kong 1990 was also accompanied by a reduction in overall prevalence. The predilection for the mandible, especially in the premolar area, was observed in the Chinese and London series; this feature was also common to all other reports.


CONCLUSIONS
The Chinese have a greater prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis than Western populations.
MacDonald-Jankowski
D S
DS
Postgraduate Dental Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D010026:Osteosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People