title: Jaw cysts at children and adolescence: a single-center retrospective study of 152 cases in southern Bulgaria.
abstract: One hundred fifty two cysts of the upper and lower jaw were examined at patients up to 18 years old treated in the Clinics of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria for the period 1998 - 2007. Patients were distributed in four age groups (up to 4 years old, from 5 to 9 years old, from 10 to 14 years old, from 15 to 18 years old). Both sexes were constantly affected (52% male, 48% female). The biggest number cystic lesions were found in the third age group (48.7%). The mandible was preferable localization of the lesions (69.7%). Dentigerous cysts predominated (61.8%) - more affected was third age group (31.6%). Radicular cysts were observed two times less (31.6%) - more affected were third (15.8%) and fourth (12.5%) age groups. The most frequently observed clinical symptom was presence of painless swelling (59.9%). The operative interventions were carried out predominantly under general anesthesia (81.6%) by intraoral approach (97.4%). The extraoral surgical approach was preferred in four cases only - three in third and one in fourth age groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of maxillo-facial surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medicine University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. pechalova@abv.bg
authors.forename: Petia F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Pechalova
authors.forename: Angel G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bakardjiev
authors.forename: Ani B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Beltcheva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002031:Bulgaria; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007570:Jaw Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies