Anterior Stafne bone defect: Literature review and a case series.

Abstract

The study objective was to review the literature and to present 3 cases of the anterior Stafne bone defect (SBD). The electronic databases - MEDLINE via PubMed and Google Scholar - were searched by 2 independent authors, who retrieved 20 articles concerning this pathology. The Stafne bone defect is an asymptomatic bone lesion, diagnosed mostly incidentally through radiological imaging, typically located in the lateral section of the mandible. The anterior SBD is exceedingly rarely observed. So far, less than 40 cases have been described. The hypothesis of the formation of a bone cavity in connection with the sublingual salivary gland has not been confirmed in the literature, considering other tissue structures present within the lesion, including lymphoid or adipose tissues. The anterior variant of SBD can be mistaken for other lesions, considering its atypical location and lower incidence rate. In most cases, it does not require any treatment and the 'wait-and-see' strategy is adopted. In the present study, 2 cases of twochamber and 1 case of single-chamber anterior SBDs were presented. Their course was asymptomatic; however, in 2 cases, increased tension of the suprahyoid muscles on physical examination was reported. The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging was employed in each case. There was no need for biopsy, and the monitoring of the lesion was established in each reported case.