Recent advances in the diagnostic imaging of cysts and pseudocysts in the oral and maxillofacial region

It is sometimes difficult to differentiate cysts and pseudocysts from tumors in the jawbone on the basis of conventional radiographs. Moreover, cysts and pseudocysts that arise in soft tissue can not be detected on radiographic images without the use of contrast agents. Therefore, additional information is sometimes required to diagnose these lesions. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (CT; MRI) have been demonstrated to be very useful for depicting normal structures and pathological processes in the oral and maxillofacial region. Whereas CT is best for depicting bone structures, MRI is superior to CT at evaluating soft tissue. The contents of bone lesions might also be better visualized on MRI. In this chapter, among the variety of lesions that occur in the oral and maxillofacial region, we would like to focus on those arising in the jaw or adjacent soft tissue. We present their representative CT and MRI findings and discuss the imaging characteristics that most contribute to their differential diagnosis.