A Rare Case of Osteomyelitis Presenting as Cyst-Like Lesion in the Coronoid Process: A Diagnostic Challenge

Cyst-like lesion in the coronoid process of the mandible is a challenging diagnosis to make, as it may present with a range of non-specific symptoms. A middle-aged woman reported a one-year history of non-bloody, pus discharge from the right angle of the mandible. There was a history of prior surgery comprising teeth removal two years ago for a painful swelling on the right side of her face, following which her symptoms regressed but in the due course, she developed a chronic sinus with draining abscess. Radiographic findings, in combination with clinical symptoms, are critical in the diagnosis and evaluation of cysts and cyst-like lesions of the jaws. The orthopantomograph (OPG) revealed a cyst-like lesion in the coronoid process of the mandible with an extra-oral sinus tract leading to the epicenter of the cyst-like radiolucency, and so this, in combination with the patient’s atypical symptoms, presented a diagnostic challenge. This case report explores the events which led to the diagnosis of osteomyelitis and shows several unique learning points.