Bilateral anterior Stafne bone defect mimicking radicular cyst: report of a rare case with a review of the literature

Stafne bone defects (SBDs) are asymptomatic radiolucent lingual/buccal bone lesions of the lower jaw that are frequently caused by soft tissue inclusion. SBDs located on the lingual anterior mandibular body (ASBDs) are rare variants. Sublingual salivary glands are thought to be responsible for ASBDs. However, other structures, such as lymphoid or vascular tissues, might be associated with ASBDs. ASBDs may be confused with other odontogenic or non-odontogenic pathologies because of their location and lower occurrence rate. To date, only one case involving the bilateral anterior mandibular area has been reported in the literature, including both the clinical case and archaeological specimens. The primary aim of our study was to describe a new case of bilateral ASBD in the anterior mandible that was mimicking a radicular cyst. The bilateral ASBD was diagnosed with the help of a three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography scan, and it presented radiographically as a periapical pathologic defect. An additional aim was to review previously reported cases related to ASBDs.