Proliferative periostitis of Garré: its differentiation from other neoperiostoses.

A review of 15 well-documented cases of proliferative periostitis reported in the literature and a description of six new cases, five fully documented, have shown the following: a variety of irritants both odontogenic and nondontogenic in origin may induce neoperiostosis in the mandible; radiographically, cortical redundancy and preservation of the original cortical outline are the most common findings; and microsocopically, a fibro-osseous pattern evincing one of the three trabecular orientations--parallel, retiform, or haphazard fibrous dysplasia-like--is featured. If other complicating factors are absent, after the suspected source of irritation has been eliminated, resolution takes place in six to 12 months in most instances.