Stafne bone cavity in the anterior mandible.

Lingual mandibular bone defect, also known as Stafne bone cavity, is mostly seen in the posterior portion of the mandible. Inclusions in the anterior portion are very unusual, with around 50 cases reported in the English-language literature. They are often asymptomatic conditions diagnosed during a routine radiographic examination. This article describes a case of anterior Stafne bone cavity in a 52-year-old man mistaken for periapical pathologic defect and referred for treatment. In addition to clinical examination, the patient was imaged using conventional periapical, panoramic radiography, and computed tomography. Confirmation of the salivary gland tissue in the lingual mandibular defect was made with the histopathologic examination after surgical intervention. The differential diagnoses, treatment choices, and pathogenesis of these bone cavities are also discussed after the case presentation along with the literature review.