A rare case of an intraosseous lipoma associated with the resorption of a mandibular third molar

Abstract

Intraosseous lipomas (IL) are rare benign neoplasms of bone which very rarely occur in the facial bones such as the mandible. Of the documented cases, many are often asymptomatic and consequently, are an incidental finding discovered by the practitioner.The following case report recounts a 22‐year‐old patient referred for extraction of a carious molar at an Oral and Maxillofacial unit with an incidental finding of pathology involving the contralateral lower left wisdom tooth (LL8) on radiographic examination. Further investigations showed associated external root resorption of the lower left wisdom tooth and a provisional diagnosis of a radicular cyst was made. The case was managed by extracting the associated tooth and enucleating the lesion. During the procedure, fatty tissue was curetted at the apex instead of the expected cystic content. Subsequent histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of an IL.To the authors' knowledge, this is only the second documented case of an IL associated with tooth resorption. Findings from this case further our knowledge of the relatively uncommon pathology of intraosseous lipomas in the mandible and highlight the need for histopathological documentation and reporting of apical lesions.