Nasopalatine duct cyst.

A retrospective and follow-up study of 35 cases of nasopalatine cysts was performed. The retrospective part of the investigation comprised clinical, radiological and histological observations including pre-, intra- and post-operative findings. The follow-up included clinical and radiological observations. The results indicated that most cysts are found during routine clinical and radiological examination. Subjective and objective clinical symptoms were reported in 50% and 59% of the cases, respectively, the most common being swelling and pain. It was not possible to confirm any specific etiological factor. In 97% of the cases, maximum cyst diameter varied between 1.0-2.5 cm and 84% appeared round or ovoid. Histological examination revealed a high frequency of cuboidal and/or columnar epithelial lining, 2-3 cell layers thick, in combination with an adjacent zone of hyalinized capsular tissue with low-grade inflammation. Radiologically these cases exhibited a well-defined cortical border. In the follow-up study, 84% of the patients exhibited complete clinical healing with no objective or subjective symptoms. Complete bone regeneration was seen radiologically within 3 years in 82% of the cases examined. The results of the present study were compared to those obtained in previous reports.