title: Expansive nasopalatine duct cysts with nasal involvement mimicking apical lesions of endodontic origin: a report of two cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The nasopalatine duct cyst (NPDC) is the most frequent nonodontogenic cyst of the jaws and can be misinterpreted as an apical lesion of endodontic origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first case, a 17-year-old male patient was referred because of a pressure sensation in the anterior maxilla. The teeth #7, #8, #10, and #11 responded to cold sensitivity testing, and on tooth #9 an endodontic treatment had been performed 3 years ago. Only periapical radiographs had been taken, and a radicular cyst was suspected. In the second case, a 42-year-old man reported inconvenience wearing his upper removable partial denture. Suspecting a jaw cyst in the anterior maxilla, the general dental practitioner referred the patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Limited cone-beam computed tomography scans visualized the expansion of the cysts and the involvement of the neighboring structures in both cases. In both patients, the NPDCs were treated first by marsupialization in local anesthesia and second with cystectomy in general anesthesia with reconstruction of the defect areas with bone gained from the iliac crest. The final diagnosis was achieved by histopathological examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If not diagnosed early, the NPDC can expand through the palatal and/or buccal cortical wall and also into the nasal cavity. The more expansive the NPDC is becoming, the more complex the final diagnosis is and the subsequent surgical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Stomatology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Valerie G A
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Büttner
authors.forename: Hans Jörg
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Altermatt
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Reichart
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bornstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008439:Maxillary Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009631:Nonodontogenic Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011842:Radicular Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*