A retrospective clinico-pathologic analysis of cemento-osseous dysplasia in a South African patient population

BACKGROUND: Cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD) is a fibro-osseous jaw bone lesion. The affected bone in COD progressively becomes sclerotic, poorly vascularized and susceptible to secondary osteomyelitis. OBJECTIVE: To provide a clinico-pathologic appraisal of COD in a South African patient population. METHODS: Archived records of 133 patients diagnosed with COD were reviewed for patient demographics, COD location, COD type, osteomyelitis or simple bone cyst secondary to COD. RESULTS: The mean age was 53.4 ± 13.5 years with a 94.7% female predilection. COD mainly affected the mandible (57.1%), followed by involvement of both jaws (38.3%) and maxilla (4.5%). Florid COD was the most prevalent (69.9%), followed by focal COD (18%) and periapical COD (12%). Florid COD showed a clear trend of increasing with age, peaking in the sixth decade and decreasing thereafter. Osteomyelitis and simple bone cyst presented as complications of COD in 74.4% and 5.3% of cases respectively, while 21.8% of all cases of jaw osteomyelitis during the study period were secondary to COD. CONCLUSION: A higher frequency of jaw osteomyelitis secondary to COD was found compared to previous studies. No significant association was shown between any of the COD types and secondary osteomyelitis.