Late recurrence of calcifying odontogenic cyst: Report of a rare case and review of the literature

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is a relatively uncommon cyst of odontogenic origin, occurring in the second decade of life, with no jaw predilection. Radiographically, it typically appears as a well‐defined unilocular radiolucency containing irregular calcifications of varying size and opacity. Treatment consists of conservative surgical excisions with low recurrence rates. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of late COC recurrence and review the pertinent literature. A 42‐year‐old female patient presented for evaluation of a painless swelling in the palate, which had been present for 5 years with a gradual, slow increase in dimensions. Twenty years before, a lesion at the same site was surgically excised with a diagnosis of COC. Clinical examination revealed a hard‐in‐consistency swelling in the anterior segment of the hard palate. Radiographically, a radiopaque lesion with an irregular outline was noticed in the left palate adjacent to the left maxillary canine and first premolar, along with a well‐defined radiolucent lesion between the maxillary central incisors. Both lesions were surgically excised, and histopathological examination revealed that the main lesion in the left palate was consistent with recurrent COC, while the lesion between the central incisors was compatible with a nasopalatine duct cyst. Even though the recurrence rate of COC is low, estimated at 3.4% based on our review of the relevant English‐language literature, the current case highlights the possibility of a late recurrence, even several years after the initial diagnosis and treatment, and therefore the need for long‐term follow‐up.