A 66-year-old healthy man was referred from a private dental clinic for evaluation of a multilocular radiolucency at the left molar region of the mandible. Panoramic radiograph revealed a well-defined multilocular radiolucent area under the mandibular canal at the distal root of the second molar tooth (). The lesion showed three lobulated radiolucencies with radiopaque margins in the region of the submandibular gland fossa. On clinical examination, there was no sign of infection, fistula, or nerve damage. No history of expansion on the left mandibular angle area was recorded. The patient had no systemic disease and no specific medical history.\nCBCT scan was recommended for further study. Axial CBCT images showed a lingual bony defect located at the lingual side of the mandibular canal (). Coronal CBCT images showed a lobulated bony defect below the mandibular canal (). The maximum mesiodistal length of the defect was 14.16 mm, and the height was 7.38 mm. The maximum buccolingual length of the defect was 4.44 mm, not showing the expansion or thinning of the buccal cortical bone.\nParasagittal CBCT images showed three lobulated radiolucencies with radiopaque margins between the mandibular canal and the inferior border of the mandible (). Three-dimensional, reformatted CBCT images revealed a bony defect extending from the medial surface of the mandible ().\nThe lesion was diagnosed as a developmental salivary gland defect from the radiographic features. The patient was informed about the lesion and was scheduled for follow-up.
A 49-year-old asymptomatic male patient was referred to a private clinic in order to undergo routine panoramic radiography. Results showed an oval-shaped, radiolucent area of cystic aspect and regular, well-defined cortical outline; its longest axis was placed horizontally in the left hemimandible. This lithic area, located under the lower left third molar, was anterior to the mandibular angle, and reached the border of the mandible, which showed thinner than normal width due to the presence of the bone defect. The apparent unity of the upper contour of the lesion and the upper wall of the mandibular canal gave them a thicker than normal appearance. The fact that the lower wall of the mandibular canal was visible within the radiolucent area showed that there could be a neighboring relationship, but not an involvement, of the inferior alveolar nerve ().\nAs a hard buccal protuberance was perceived on palpation, a CT was performed. The coronal view in the CT scan showed that there had been a distention of the mandibular buccal cortex and that glandular tissue had been spreading into the bone defect. A further coronal view revealed the buccal location of the mandibular canal, which was preserved (Figures and ).\nA previous scintigraphy revealed an inflammatory condition associated with an obstructive process involving the submandibular glands, particularly on the left side ().